The fallout between George Russell and Max Verstappen that erupted last year has already earned its place among Formula One’s most classic driver feuds. Verstappen said he no longer respected Russell, who in turn accused the Dutchman of intimidation and bullying.
More details about the clash between Verstappen and Russell have come to light in a recently released book.
George Russell vs. Max Verstappen: The Inside Story of Their F1 Feud Revealed
In his new book “Notes from the Pit Lane”, Sky F1 reporter Ted Kravitz recounts how Russell tried to strike back at Verstappen following his “bully” remark about the four-time champion.
Verstappen struck back at Russell after the race, claiming he had lost respect for the Mercedes driver for “how he tried to force a penalty on me,” hinting that the Mercedes driver acted differently when the cameras weren’t rolling.
The heated exchange carried into Abu Dhabi a week later, bringing Christian Horner and Toto Wolff into the escalating drama.
According to Kravitz, Russell spoke to him in the TV pen at Yas Marina on Thursday and asked him to make sure the situation was fully covered in the interview.
“A week after Qatar, when Russell arrived at the Abu Dhabi track, he was in no mood to let the Verstappen situation lie,” Kravitz revealed.
I am crying. Russell really asked Kravitz to ask him follow up questions about Max so he could give his “boderline violence” speech 😭💀 Kravitz even had to check if George was wearing a DTS mic or not cause he was so confused 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/xeWvG4Uebx
— Laura 🦋 (@formuLau16) October 14, 2025
“I’d spent the day interviewing drivers at the TV pen, but hadn’t yet heard any earth-shattering stories,” he continued. “A minute before his time slot, up strode George. He called me over to the edge of the pen – ‘make sure you ask me a follow-up question.’”
Kravitz then asked Russell to clarify, and the British driver responded that he was tired of Verstappen’s press attacks and felt it was time to confront his alleged bullying behavior.
“‘What do you mean?’ I asked. (He replied) ‘I’m going to give it back to Max. I’ve had enough of him bad-mouthing me in the press, and I’m going to call him out on his bullying tactics,” Kravitz quoted Russell as saying.
“Before checking to see if he was wearing a Drive to Survive microphone, I asked him if he was absolutely sure he wanted to escalate what was effectively last year’s story, and start a new fight with Max – never an easy battle to win. He said he was positive, and away he went,” Kravitz wrote.
The weekend did little to ease the tension. When the drivers gathered for the end-of-season dinner, Russell arrived last, leaving two empty seats awkwardly placed next to Verstappen.
Russell had claimed earlier this year that he hadn’t spoken to Verstappen since then, but he also insisted he had “no concerns” about him.
