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 th📖e 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 Verstapꦇpen was angered, but has made a clear distinction to how the F1 champion battles against his own two drivers.
“Yo൩u know, I think Max races Lewis differenไtly,” Wolff said.
“But between the same generation drivers? They are all fierce. But it’🧔s always been, they know each other.
“T𒁃hey had that situation, probably the first time when they were 10.
“So, it’s racing. I 𓄧don’t k🦩now if it’s 70/30, 60/40 or 50/50, but it’s going to be in that ballpark…
“Friendly exchanges between d☂r💝ivers is a good entertainment factor. So irrelevant. And yes, that’s a race situation.
“You are try💙ing the outs🌞ide. That’s never going to be an easy position.
“They collided here to be cold in th🥃e car, and that is certainly suboptimal for your race.
꧒“It’s absolutely understandable that he’s upset on the other side.
“George defended the position. And that’s a🦩lso clear that they’reꦜ going to do that.
“So it’s not the first time I guess they had ♉the situation between each other.”
Verstappen furiously lab𒁃elled Russell a “d***head” as they spoke face-to-f🅰ace after the sprint, which Sergio Perez won.
Russell later claimed he was surprised that Verstappen was so angry, 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’ a𝐆s the tension escalated.
James was a ꦫsports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American ꦜsports, to football, to F1.
