(L to R): Max Verstappen, Red Bull; George Russell, Mercedes; Baku City Circuit; 2023

Furious Verstappen brands Russell a ‘d*******’ after sprint race clash

2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen was left fuming at George Russell after the pair collided on the first lap of the sprint race.

The pair fought over third place on the first lap of the race, going side-by-side through the first three corners. The pair made contact at the exit of turn three as Russell claimed the position.

Verstappen repassed Russell later in the race and went on to finish third. The pair confronted each other in parc ferme afterwards.

After Russell apologised and said he had no grip at the start, Verstappen responded: “We all have no grip. We all need to leave a little` bit of space.”

“I know,” Russell replied, “watch the onboard.”

“Expect next time the same,” Verstappen continued, adding: “Dickhead.”

Asked afterwards whether his choice of word had been due to any past antagonism between the pair, Verstappen said: “No, we didn’t really have issues before.”

Speaking after the race Verstappen said Russell should have been more cautious at the start. “I just don’t understand why you need to take so much risk in lap one,” he said.

“He’s understeered into my sidepod, created a hole. We all have cold tyres, it’s easy to lock up but in his beautiful way of explaining ‘aw mate, locked up, look at the onboard’. Well, it doesn’t make sense.

“But it’s fine, we still got into P3, got some good points, but it is what it is.”

The stewards did not note or investigate the collision between the pair.

Verstappen said his car’s handling was “a bit weird” as a result of the damage, which included missing floor parts and a hole in his sidepod. “You expect a balance, but the car was jumping around a lot and sliding in some weird places, vibrations.

“I need to look into the data to know exactly, of course, how much damage it did, but it’s not great. Of course you try to close the gap a bit, you are constantly in the dirty air. And I guess at one point also, my tyres were running a little bit too hot.”

This article will be updated

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2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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51 comments on “Furious Verstappen brands Russell a ‘d*******’ after sprint race clash”

  1. I chuckled when i heard this)) usually they censor this stuff out before it gets aired

    1. @njoydesign Impossible this time because the conversation happened fully live rather than being slightly delayed as broadcasted radio comms always are.

  2. BLS (@brightlampshade)
    29th April 2023, 15:55

    For such a amazing and successful driver he does seem overly easy to wind up. It was hardly an outrageous ramming incident, neither did Russel try to run him 50m off the track…….etc.

    1. Yeah!

      It wasn’t like the Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires trip that he (Verstappen) took Hamilton to in 2021

  3. They now have the blue print to break him. Just do to him what he does to others. Turns out he hates it.

  4. sjeesj he should know better than that, considering he’s done similar racing in the past (when he had nothing to lose)

    1. Well, he got his fair chair of penalties for it…

      1. Fair share…cringe….

      2. Not in 2021 he didn’t which prompted the rewriting of the overtaking rulebook.

        1. In 2021 too… 10 seconds and Jeddah and penaltypoints in Monza. And about Brazil, that was just hatd racing ;-p

  5. All to honour the late Jerry Springer. Great tv.

  6. It seems like such an over the top reaction to the sort of move he’s made loads of times himself.

    He’s very angry but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was angry at himself because what he should have done is let Russell through and taken him easily when DRS was activated. He would probably have gone on to win or be at least 2nd. But of course he can’t say that as that would be admitting a mistake which some people regard as weakness. And he’s not allowed to show that.

  7. I thought this was the kind of racing Verstappen always used to be in favour of? Not anymore?

    1. I guess with a dominant car, perspectives change.

  8. Verstappen seemed convinced last year that being on the inside line made it your corner and gave the right to force the other driver wide, strangely he’s changed his tune today?

    1. Verstappen seemed convinced last year that being on the inside line made it your corner and gave the right to force the other driver wide, strangely he’s changed his tune today?

      I think you will find that Max has a consistent tune in one respect and that is that whether inside or outside line has the right of way, depends on whether Max on the inside or outside line.

      1. No it depends on who is clearly in front and therefore can claim the corner..

      2. Hahahaha..well said mate

    2. Electroball76
      29th April 2023, 19:33

      (don’t) pass the Dutchman ‘pon the left hand side?

  9. Max didn’t seem that angry in the clip I just watched, the d******* was a throwaway comment after George walked off, to me George seemed more annoyed out of the two.

  10. Verstappen’s a great talent. He also thinks he owns the racetrack.

  11. Ah yes the entertainment occurs after the race typical

  12. It was not so smart from Russel, costs Saints a couple of points a month ago. Now if this is what they (FIA) want I guess there will be payback from Verstappen in the future when Russel is going for the WDC.

    1. Davethechicken
      29th April 2023, 18:01

      So you expect Verstappen to deliberately crash into a competitor in the future?

    2. @pietkoster No need to wait. Verstappen promised Russell he’ll be going for payback next time. Though Russell was walking away when he said it and probably didn’t hear him, ditto the feeble insult.

  13. “Expect next time the same,” Verstappen continued, adding: “D+++.”

    Hard to know where to start with this exchange. First Russell’s aggression was no different to countless instances of similar Verstappen aggression. Now Verstappen has more to lose, Russell far less, at least this season, he’s now exposed to other drivers risking more against him. And doesn’t like it. So far, so funny. But Verstappen’s response to Russell’s apology -genuine or otherwise – just reinforces the fact Verstappen himself is quite happy to drive the same way when it suits him. If I were Russell, I’d carry on doing the same. Why not? Let Verstappen try. He’ll lose the championship to Perez if he does. The fact is Verstappen can pass later in the race with ease if he doesn’t pick up damage – which he did today, forcing the issue. Fact is Russell is Verstappen’s match in terms of on-track aggression (same goes for Leclerc) as they’ve learnt it’s how you deal with him.

    1. Yes, they’re among the most aggressive drivers indeed, and I also agree that russell should continue racing aggressively against verstappen, tables turned now compared to the 2016-2020 period, when red bull could only go for occasional wins and had nothing to lose.

  14. He seems to have a very short memory about his own shortcomings and like all playground bullies when confronted with anyone doling out the same treatment to him he becomes morally righteous. He has revealed his Achilles Heel, so now all other drivers will not be giving him any quarter.

  15. Ladies and Gentleman, the ambassador for the sport.

    1. This is the saddest part for me. Seriously unprofessional. I think George might have found his weak spot…

  16. You should visit the Netherlands some time. Discover it for yourself, as well as experiencing indoor plumbing.

    1. ollie studio45
      29th April 2023, 16:36

      Canal culture or sewer mentality?

  17. Russell similarly undsrsteered into Sainz at COTA last year and caused his retirement.

    I am sensing a pattern.

  18. These Mercedes F1 cars sure do have a lot of “sudden understeer”.

  19. I failed to hear the d-word, but most other words were pretty audible.

    1. get them checked then

  20. Great job framing all Dutch people. More animosity and nationalism is really what F1 needs.

  21. Hard to know where to start with their exchange. First Russell’s aggression was no different to countless instances of similar Verstappen aggression. Now Verstappen has more to lose, Russell far less, at least this season, he’s now exposed to other drivers risking more against him. And doesn’t like it. So far, so funny. But Verstappen’s response to Russell’s apology -genuine or otherwise – just reinforces the fact Verstappen himself is quite happy to drive the same way when it suits him. If I were Russell, I’d carry on doing the same. Why not? Let Verstappen try. He’ll lose the championship to Perez if he does. The fact is Verstappen can pass later in the race with ease if he doesn’t pick up damage – which he did today, forcing the issue. Fact is Russell is Verstappen’s match in terms of on-track aggression (same goes for Leclerc) as they’ve learnt it’s how you deal with him.

  22. In his interview with Sky, Christian Horner said two things (1) “it’s lucky that Russell kept his helmet on” referring to when Max confronted Russell. (2) “Max does not forget and he banked his anger/frustration”. Is Horner, the Stirrer-in-Chief, advocating violence from Max towards Russell? Is he encouraging it? Is he proud of it if Max did? How childish.

    Apart from Max/Russell incident, not a lot to be exciting about the Sprint.

  23. Davethechicken
    29th April 2023, 17:55

    Good to see Max has grown up and is now calling other drivers names like d head rather than m**gol.
    What a brand ambassador…..

  24. Russel again confirmed his reputation of crashing into other drivers, it appears to be part of his driving style. It mostly happens when he sticks his nose to the inside of other cars, when the corner is clearly not his..

  25. Just an entitled brat, yet another fine example of his crass attitude. I hope the other drivers inflict more of the same of his you let me pass or we crash driving style on him.

  26. Usually when someone understeers into another car there is a penalty, even in the first lap. Not this time though.

  27. Racing incident at best. A rub, not a whack. Max seems to always complain unless he’s P1. Russell had the inside. Last race Max was whining because he said he had the inside and Lewis did not back out on the outside. Too bad the article doesn’t include George’s comments.

  28. Julian Beckett
    29th April 2023, 20:58

    Oh the irony…

  29. Talk about taking risks on lap one back in 2021.. Interesting how the tables have turned.

  30. He really has no right to demand others accept blame and apologize, because both of them had a right to be where they were and compete during the move, either of them could have backed off and not made the contact, it’s how he also races from time to time, AND as Verstappen’s engineer was not happy with him making the contact either and made a couple of snarky comments during the race.

  31. Yeah…

    it wasn’t like the Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires trip that he took Lewis to in 2021

  32. Different language would be nice but the point is fair. Russell should know better. This is F1 not his karting days. Last season he also showed quite some lack of skills and knowledge on how to drive.

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