Verstappen says he ‘lost all respect’ for Russell after stewards’ hearing in Qatar over qualifying incident

Max Verstappen has stated that he “lost all respect” for George Russell after the pair attended a stewards’ hearing following an incident between them in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, which ultimately resulted in Verstappen receiving a one-place grid penalty.
Both Verstappen and Russell were summoned to the stewards on Saturday night as the Red Bull driver was investigated for driving unnecessarily slowly on a cooldown lap, which Russell felt he had been impeded by.
READ MORE: Verstappen surges to victory ahead of Leclerc and Piastri in action-packed Qatar Grand Prix amid three Safety Cars
The decision to hand Verstappen a one-place grid drop meant that the original qualifying positions of the pair were reversed, with the world champion being demoted to P2 while Russell moved up into pole position.
When the lights went out for Sunday’s Grand Prix, Verstappen executed a strong start and swept into the lead ahead of both Russell and Lando Norris. From there the Dutchman went on to win the race, while Russell crossed the line in fourth.
Speaking in the post-race press conference following his victory, Verstappen was asked for his reaction to the penalty he received, to which he responded: “I couldn’t believe that I got it. But in a way, I was also like, yeah, I’m not surprised anymore in the world that I live in.
“You’re not happy with it, but at one point also you have to just turn the page. But, yeah, it wasn’t very enjoyable to see that happen, because I think that’s the first time that in a slow lap someone has been penalised, while, actually, I just tried to be nice, so maybe I shouldn’t be nice.
READ MORE: Verstappen delighted with Qatar GP victory as he praises team after rollercoaster weekend
“But the thing is that, because at the end of the season, everything is more or less decided, for me especially, I didn’t want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap. And by doing that, being nice, basically you get a penalty.
“That’s what I tried to explain as well, but I just felt like I was talking to a brick wall, so there’s not much that was possible for whatever reason.
“I think I really spoke about valid reasons of what happened and it was clear-cut that around me there were different scenarios going on as well, with people having colder tyres and stuff, so they had to push anyway and I didn’t want to then cause a scene into a last corner and then no one had a lap, so very, very surprising.”
And when quizzed for his thoughts on the role that Russell played in the process, Verstappen continued: “I was quite surprised when sitting there in the stewards’ room [about] what was all going on.
READ MORE: Russell bewildered by ‘flattering’ P4 finish in Qatar as he looks back on ‘funny’ weekend
“Honestly, [it was] very disappointing because I think we’re all here, we respect each other a lot and of course, I’ve been in that meeting room many times in my life, in my career, with people that I’ve raced and I’ve never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. And that for me… I lost all respect.”
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HIGHLIGHTS: Relive the action from a thrilling Qatar Grand Prix as Verstappen wins ahead of Leclerc and Piastri