Russell escorts Verstappen to the door
After the Suzuka GP Max Verstappen threatened to retire from an F1 he no longer recognizes, sparking a series of controversies. The very strong words of the Dutchman did not please the F1 president Stefano Domenicali, who indirectly criticized him, but they certainly shook the environment and forced the Circus itself to look in the mirror on the new regulations.
Read more Stellantis, digital transformation with Microsoft
On the driver front, Verstappen is certainly the most active in criticizing the new F1. The others take defensive positions, also for fear of exposing themselves publicly, but their notes are listened to by F1, which for example involved them in the online meeting on April 13. The most “silent” among these were undoubtedly Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, due to the superiority of Mercedes. And it was precisely the British driver who provoked Verstappen, motivating his outbursts at F1 with Red Bull’s poor results.
Russell’s words
“Formula 1 is bigger than any driver. You wouldn’t want to lose Max, I think we all like racing against him and he is an integral part of the sport“, these are Russell’s words. “I didn’t like driving the 2022 car, the porpoising was destroying everyone’s back. The car was big, heavy and in high-speed corners it was not very pleasant to drive. But he didn’t complain, because he was winning“.
Read more Steiner slams Newey team principal: “He wanted that role without knowing what it entails”
“He complains differently from the Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren drivers, because we are at the front of the grid, and that is completely natural. The frustration is understood and recognized“, he added. “But he has achieved what most drivers dream of, namely winning a championship. He has won four. After all, I think he has reached a point in his life where there really isn’t much else to achieve in Formula 1. Maybe he could aim for records, but knowing him, he will want to do what makes him smile“.
Read more Red Bull reorganizes: the new arrows in Pierre Waché’s quiver to overturn the RB22
