Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen expressed his frustration on Sunday, stating he had “lost all respect” for Mercedes driver George Russell following a qualifying incident that cost him pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Verstappen had been 0.055 seconds faster than Russell in Saturday’s qualifying session. However, a stewards’ investigation led to a one-place grid penalty for Verstappen, citing his “unnecessarily slow” driving in an interaction with Russell. As a result, Russell was promoted to pole position.
Russell had radioed his team, calling the situation “super dangerous,” as he was forced to avoid Verstappen ahead of him. Both drivers were called to a stewards’ inquiry, and Verstappen did not hold back in his criticism of Russell’s conduct in the aftermath.
“Honestly, very disappointing,” Verstappen said after the race. “We’re all here to respect each other, and I’ve been in that stewards’ room many times, with people who have raced. I’ve never seen anyone try to sabotage someone as much as that. For me, I’ve lost all respect.”
Verstappen clarified that his slower pace had been a deliberate attempt to avoid interfering with other drivers on track.