Verstappen comments on the Russell affair: I lost respect!

Verstappen comments on the Russell affair: I lost respect!

Qatar, Katar - Max Verstappen showed on Sunday at the Grand Prix of Qatar that despite a turbulent weekend, he cannot be broken. The Dutch Formula 1 world champion secured victory, but a dispute with George Russell overshadowed his success. While Verstappen was turning the fastest round and targeting the pole position, Russell protest against him and claimed to have been hindered. To the surprise of many, the racing commissioners decided that Russell was right, which led to Verstappen losing his starting place to Russell, such as reported.

After the race, Verstappen let his frustration run free over Russell and explained: "I lost all respect." The accusation that seemed to him like an opaque advance against the integrity of the competition moved the Formula 1 community. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was also disappointed and spoke of "hysteria" at Russell, who in his opinion played a role in the decision of the commissioners. He noticed that the punishment was "a very strange decision" and suspected that Russell and the Mercedes team played a "tactical game" to achieve advantages, as well as Sportbible found.

The next race in Abu Dhabi will be the season finale, where the designer title must also be decided. Verstappen himself prevailed despite the controversy; He overtook Russell right at the beginning of the race and ultimately won. Nevertheless, the incident remains in the minds of the audience and could also influence the dynamics between the two drivers next season.