Red Bull Racing F1 driver Max Verstappen asserted that "he lost all respect" for George Russell after stewards' meeting ahead of the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen qualified on pole for the 23 round of the season in Qatar. However, he lost it a few hours after the qualifying ended as he received an unprecedented one-place grid penalty.
The four-time World Champion was summoned to the stewards concerning a warm-up lap incident with George Russell, who approached him at a high speed (crucially also on a warm-up lap) and almost crashed into his rear.
Russell was vocal on his team radio and after the qualifying about how Verstappen's on-track behavior was dangerous, and everything ultimately led to the meeting with stewards and the one-place penalty.
The controversial penalty ultimately didn't stop the Red Bull Racing F1 driver from taking the lead of the race in the first corner of the opening lap and then going on the win his ninth race this season.
When Verstappen was asked after the Grand Prix about what his reaction was when he received the penalty and how the meeting with stewards and Russell went, he told the media:
"Honestly, I mean... I couldn't believe that I got it. But in a way, I was also like, yeah, I'm not surprised anymore in the world that I live in."
"So, yeah. You're not happy with it. But at one point or another, you have to just turn the page. But, yeah, it wasn't very enjoyable to see that happen because I think that's the first time that, in a slow lap, someone has been penalized."
The Dutchman tried to explain in the post-qualifying interviews and also to the stewards that he had slow cars in front of him as well.
Although he was outside of his delta, he didn't want to ruin the qualifying for other drivers as he isn't fighting the championship anymore.
"While, actually, I just tried to be nice. So maybe I shouldn't be nice. But the thing is that, you know, well, being nice, because at the end of the season, everything is more or less decided, for me especially, I didn't want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap."
"And by doing that, you know, being nice, basically you get a penalty. And that's what I tried to explain as well. But I just felt like I was talking to a brick wall. So there's not much that was possible for whatever reason."
As to what role George Russell and his comments played in the penalty that the four-time world champion received, he said that the Mercedes driver was clearly trying to "screw" him over. Hence, Verstappen lost respect for the Briton:
"Yeah, I was quite surprised when sitting there in the Stewards' room, what was all going on. Honestly, very disappointing because I think we're all here, we respect each other a lot, and of course, I've been in that meeting room many times in my life, in my career, with people that have raced and I've never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. And that for me… I lost all respect."
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