Max Verstappen was furious at George Russell after the Sprint in Azerbaijan (Picture: Sky Sports)
World champion Max Verstappen has called British F1 star George Russell a ‘****head’ after they made contact during Saturday’s Sprint in Baku.
Red Bull driver Verstappen was left with a hole in his sidepod after Mercedes racer Russell passed him on turn two of the first lap.
The Dutchman was absolutely furious and hit out at Russell on his team radio before the pair’s angry exchange at the end of the Sprint.
‘I had no grip,’ Russell was heard saying to Verstappen in footage captured by the cameras in Azerbaijan.
‘Mate, we all have no grip,’ Verstappen replied, clearly still visibly frustrated at the incident. ‘We all need to give a little bit of space.’
Russell then walked away before Verstappen shouted: ‘But expect it next time the same, you know. ****head.’
Verstappen and Russell finished third and fourth respectively behind winner Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc, with the Ferrari driver ending up second despite starting on pole.
Speaking after the Sprint, Verstappen told Sky Sports: ‘I just don’t understand why you need to take so much risk in lap one, understeer into my sidepod, create a hole. We all have cold tyres, it’s easy to lock up.
‘His beautiful way of explaining ‘ah mate, you know locked up, ah look at the onboard’. It doesn’t make sense.
‘There’s a hole in the sidepod, it doesn’t look that great, it is what it is now and we’ll focus on tomorrow.’
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During the race, Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase said on the team radio: ‘Hold it Max, these guys have got nothing to lose. Just remember that.’
Verstappen replied: ‘No mate, he tapped me. That’s how he got the position. F***ing report it!’
Later on, Lambiase praised Verstappen for overtaking without contact as the Dutchman added: ‘Yeah, I know how to do that.’
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It all got a bit heated in Azerbaijan…
