DRAMA is the name of the game in Formula 1.

This week’s drama between involving Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s multiple world champion Max Verstappen has got a little out of hand. So much so that the relationship between the two of them now seems irreparable.

Maybe that was Russell’s plan all along. His team boss, Toto Wolff, is known to be a huge fan of Verstappen’s and admitted to having conversations with the Dutchman about the vacant seat at Mercedes when it was up for grabs. The last thing Russell wants is to finally sit in a championship calibre car only to be beaten by his teammate. Wolff may now be forced into picking a side, and he’s going to have to side with his current star driver. 

It all stemmed from an incident in last weekend’s qualifying session. Verstappen was deemed to have been driving “unnecessarily slowly”, impeding Russell as he was on a hot lap. The consequence was a one-place grid penalty for Verstappen, who had qualified fastest. Ultimately, it proved largely inconsequential as he went on to win the race from second place. But the frustrations of the newly crowned four-time world champion arose in the stewards’ room, where Verstappen felt that Russell had done everything he could to throw him under the bus. “I’ve never seen anyone act like that”, he said.

Russell was ready to retaliate. In a press conference before this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the season finale, he called Verstappen a bully. He said that Verstappen had threatened to crash into him on purpose. Ouch.

In reality, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. George is exactly the sort of teacher’s pet type who would advocate for Max’s after school detention. Nonetheless, Verstappen’s comments are unforgiveable and, if found to be true, warrant punishment. Threatening to crash into a rival must be against some sort of racing code. If true, it should not be allowed to stand. Unfortunately, nobody would be overly surprised if it was found that Verstappen had made those comments. It is quite in-keeping with his character.

There has always been drama in Formula 1, but Netflix’s Drive to Survive series has led to the general public becoming more aware of the drivers’ personal characters. Many have come out of the series very well. Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo quickly became cult heroes for many. Verstappen and Russell both less so, perhaps. 

A vocal rivalry might be exactly what the sport needs. Since that action-packed 2021 season where Russell’s outgoing teammate Lewis Hamilton went head-to-head (literally at times) with Verstappen, things have been largely quiet. That is likely a symptom of Verstappen’s dominance over that period. If Russell and Verstappen end up fighting for a title next season, this argument could just be the appetiser.

It’s probably time for all of the drivers to cool off over the winter. How cold does it get in Monaco?

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By Leon Parrott