- Max Verstappen has spoken out on his ongoing feud with George Russell
- The Dutchman placed second in the Australian Grand Prix ahead of Russell
It seems there’s been no love lost between Max Verstappen and George Russell after the Dutch driver gave an update on whether the pair had finally made up.
The reigning Formula One world champion and British Mercedes driver have been at loggerheads for some time and it appears they’re no closer to making up.
It came after Russell called Verstappen ‘a bully’ following last year’s Qatar Grand Prix. Verstappen, who won the race, had been penalised for impeding the Brit, with Russell subsequently sparking the war of words.
‘People have been bullied by Max for years now,’ the Brit said. Verstappen replied: ‘George is a backstabber. That he brings all this stuff up. He’s just a loser.’
And it appears the pair still haven’t squashed their beef, with Verstappen being pressed on the matter following the Australian Grand Prix.
Asked if they had cleared the air during his press conference, Verstappen said flatly: ‘No, it’s still shockingly bad.
Max Verstappen delivered a brutally blunt five-word response when pressed on his relationship with George Russell
Verstappen (left) and Russell (right) have been feuding since the Qatar Grand Prix last year
‘It’s all good, it’s all good,’ he added, unconvincingly. Russell added: ‘What he said.’
Russell, who smiled to himself after Verstappen’s comments, has also spoken out on their feud, prior to this week’s Australian Grand Prix.
‘I wasn’t going to just stand and be bullied around,’ Russell, who finished third behind Verstappen on Sunday, said to BBC Sport.
‘People seem to always back down to him. And that’s just not how I go about my business.
‘I’m not there to be best mates with a world champion. I’m here to win, and that’s his mentality as well. There’s no love lost.
‘I’ve never been scared to race against Max. I’ve always put up a fight.’
Their spat has evolved over the last year notably while Toto Wolff has expressed a desire to bring the Red Bull driver to Mercedes.
