Azerbaijan GP Analysis: George Russell rejects Max Verstappen's criticism

Max Verstappen accused George Russell of 'lacking communal sense'

A defiant George Russell rejected Max Verstappen's criticisms aft the brace collided astatine the commencement of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint race.

"I was precise amazed by however aggravated helium was," Russell said.

"I americium not conscionable going to question him by due to the fact that he's Max Verstappen successful a Red Bull. I americium present to combat and win," added the Englishman.

Verstappen accused Russell of lacking "common sense".

"They are disconnected the gait and to instrumentality that overmuch hazard it is not precise rewarding due to the fact that I volition get him anyhow successful the adjacent fewer laps," Verstappen said.

"The imaginable to harm your car arsenic well. Not lone my car - I had a spread successful my sidepod - but helium could get a puncture and his contention is implicit arsenic well.

"I thought I was fair. I gave him capable space. But I think, apparently, it's hard to not deed that Red Bull car, I guess. For them [Mercedes drivers].

"Clearly helium locked up. But helium tells me: 'Yeah, I got acold tyres.' We each person acold tyres, it is not an excuse.

"I don't similar it erstwhile idiosyncratic has that absorption - 'I didn't bash thing wrong' - and walks off.

"It is what it is. It's 2 views, it's my presumption and it's his view. Whatever."

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Verstappen besides said that helium considered the determination reflected Russell's inexperience. Both drivers are 25, but Russell made his debut successful F1 successful 2019, whereas Verstappen archetypal raced successful the apical class successful 2015.

"[In his position] I would effort to fight, but not tally into him," Verstappen said. "Maybe it is thing you larn implicit time. I had my moments erstwhile I conscionable started successful F1 wherever you marque immoderate silly mistakes oregon lock-ups and harm and possibly it is portion of the learning curve."

Russell argued that helium was successful a presumption to effort a morganatic overtake and that, arsenic Verstappen was connected the extracurricular going into the country connected a thoroughfare way surrounded by walls, the Dutchman was the 1 taking the risk.

Russell said that Verstappen had utilized the f-word a fig of times. The Red Bull operator besides insulted the Briton arsenic helium walked away.

"I was rather surprised," Russell said. "I thought helium was coming implicit to say: 'Good battle.'

"I was connected the wrong and the presumption was already mislaid from him and I was truly rather amazed helium was inactive trying to clasp it connected the outside.

"Ever since we were 8 years old, if you are connected the wrong astatine the apex of a corner, it's your corner, and if you effort to clasp it connected the outside, you are taking the risk. The determination was connected - that's astir it, really."

Verstappen and Russell clashed successful Azerbaijan

The incidental enlivened a 'sprint' contention that contained small different incident.

Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez overtook Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to triumph aft starting 2nd and Fernando Alonso took vantage of Lewis Hamilton failing to walk the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz astatine a restart aft an aboriginal information car to instrumentality 5th place, but different positions among the apical 8 cars were static during the race.

It was the archetypal play of a revised format for the sprint which separates retired events connected Saturday from the main contention connected Sunday.

For the past 2 seasons since its introduction, the effect of the sprint acceptable the starting positions for the expansive prix connected Sunday.

Now, pursuing a regularisation alteration finalised earlier this week, Friday's qualifying sets the expansive prix starting bid and a caller qualifying has been introduced connected Saturday to determine the grid for the sprint.

Verstappen, who has ever been captious of the sprint format, made it wide helium was not successful favour of the changes.

"Just scrap the full thing," helium said. "It is important to spell backmost to what we person and marque definite each squad tin combat for a win. And [not try] to instrumentality each this artificial excitement.

"I got bored successful today's qualifying. I similar to person 1 qualifying wherever you enactment everything successful it and that was yesterday, which I enjoyed. And past you had to bash it again today. I was like: 'My god, different qualifying!' I conscionable don't truly bask that."

Other drivers were much affirmative portion reflecting their content that it could beryllium improved further.

Leclerc, who besides took rod for the main expansive prix, said: "I don't hatred this format. It's amended than past year's sprint format.

"I wouldn't privation this to beryllium the modular format successful the future. It's good if we person three, 4 races similar that successful a year.

"It puts a batch much unit connected the drivers due to the fact that fundamentally there's lone 1 league wherever you tin bash a mistake, which is archetypal practice. After that, each thigh you bash is truly important. And you besides person a batch little mentation truthful the mentation for the contention beforehand astatine the simulator is highly important."

Alonso said: "It is OK. I similar the thought of little signifier and the fans volition similar for definite much action.

"The lone unfastened constituent is this greeting the qualifying felt, I don't know, a small spot repetitive of what we had yesterday, much oregon little the aforesaid cars went done Q1 and Q2, lone Alex (Albon) and George alternatively of (Yuki) Tsunoda and immoderate others.

"We tin possibly spice up much things a small spot the qualifying this greeting but past the teams volition ne'er hold to spice up."

Hamilton said: "I thought it was cool. I liked qualifying. I mostly similar the format, but determination is simply a batch of clip wasted connected the play and I deliberation we could bash it successful a shorter magnitude of days."

Other drivers besides said the format could inactive beryllium improved.

Russell said: "[The drivers] were unfastened to change. I americium not against it. It would beryllium bully if the teams were allowed to marque a set-up alteration connected Friday. It feels a shame each these engineers are present and locked in.

"From the drivers' perspective, it's rather fun, much competitory laps. I conscionable anticipation it doesn't instrumentality excessively overmuch distant from Sunday."

Leclerc said helium felt the regularisation requiring drivers to usage lone caller brushed tyres successful the last portion of the sprint qualifying league should beryllium changed. This prevented McLaren's Lando Norris from moving successful the last league connected Saturday due to the fact that his squad made a strategical determination to usage each his brushed tyres connected Friday.

'We are inactive lacking immoderate pace' - Leclerc

Leclerc volition commencement the main expansive prix from rod connected Sunday, this clip with Verstappen alongside him connected the beforehand enactment alternatively than Perez, but the sprint offered him small anticipation that helium volition beryllium immoderate amended capable to clasp disconnected the Red Bulls.

Leclerc admitted helium had enactment up small combat against Perez due to the fact that the Red Bull was truthful overmuch faster connected the straight. He said helium tried to bent connected wrong a 2nd of the Red Bull arsenic agelong arsenic helium could to alteration him to usage the DRS overtaking assistance to support against Verstappen but helium yet ran retired of tyre beingness and began to driblet back.

He admitted that trying to bushed the Red Bulls connected Sunday was "going to beryllium tricky for sure".

"We are inactive lacking immoderate gait successful the contention and it's been the lawsuit since rather a bit," Leclerc said. "We are not yet astatine the level of Red Bull."

The triumph looks acceptable to beryllium a contention betwixt Verstappen and Perez, whose sprint triumph reduced his shortage successful the title to Verstappen to 13 points.