Toto Wolff on Max Verstappen v George Russell clash at F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: “I think Max races Lewis Hamilton differently”
Verstappen and George Russell’s clash on the first 🎶lap of the sprint race at the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix caused damage to the Red Bull, and led to a fierce war of words afterwards.
Mercedes team principal Wolff admits that it is “understandable” how Verstappen was angered, but has made a c🎉lear distinction to how the F1 champion battles 🅺against his own two drivers.
“You k꧃now, I think M🔴ax races Lewis differently,” Wolff said.
“But between the same generation drivers? They are all fierce. But it’🅷s always been, they know each other.
“They had that 🌺situatiꦺon, probably the first time when they were 10.
“So, it’s raci🐠ng. I don’t know if it’s 70/🔴30, 60/40 or 50/50, but it’s going to be in that ballpark…
“Friendly eღxchanges between drivers is a good entertainment factor. So irrelevant. And yes, that’s a race situation.
“You are trying the outside. Th💧at’s never going to be an easy positi🐷on.
“They collided here to be cold in the car, and that i🅠s certainly suboptimal for your race.&nbsꦑp;
“It’s absolutely understand💜ꦦable that he’s upset on the other side.
“George defeꦏnded the position. And that’s also clear that they’re ܫgoing to do that.
“So it’s not the first time I guess they h♛ad the situation between each other.”
Vers☂tappen furiously labelled Russell a “d***head” as they spoke face-to-face after the sprint, which Sergio Perez 🧜won.
Russell later claimed he was surp෴rised that Verstappen was so angry,ඣ and insisted he wasn’t about to back down just because he came up against the world champion.
Verstappen made a dig, calling his rival ‘Princess George’ as the tension⛎ escalate🌟d.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from America♉n sports, to football, to F1.
