Tense stories
In recent weeks there has been a lot of talk about the drivers’ market, with numerous references – and just as many denials – on a possible interest by Mercedes in Charles Leclerc with a view to a ‘after-Hamilton’ that sooner or later the Brackley team will have to face . But who will certainly never sit inside the cockpit of one of the black-silver arrows is Max Verstappenand not only for the very long-term contract that binds the Dutchman to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season. Yesterday, in the Baku Sprint race, we saw once again how the relationship between the world champion and the team of Brackley is reduced to a minimum.
Old rusts
The tensions with George Russell they were just the umpteenth chapter of a conflict that Verstappen and the entire Milton Keynes team have had with their Anglo-German rivals since 2021 and which has never really been resolved. Also last year, in the midst of the duel that was opposing him to Ferrari, the reigning champion had underlined how different it was to battle against the Italian team, how there was greater respect and how once the challenges on the track were over, one found oneself in the paddock at joke. All things that certainly the idol of the orange fan would hardly do with any of the men wearing a Mercedes uniform.
Max’s dig
Yesterday at the press conference, after the Sprint race, the #1 commented again on the episode that saw him pitted against George Russell, reiterating his version of events and launching a direct attack on Mercedes, without naming it: “We went around the curves together, side by side, without him ever touching the inside wall. So I think I certainly left enough space. But evidently it’s hard for them not to hit a Red Bull carL“. All said with the mischievous smile that has become one of the trademarks of Verstappen’s communicative style.
George’s answer
The reference, of course, was ai many incidents in the past with Valtteri Bottas (Hungary 2021) e especially Lewis Hamilton (Silverstone and Monza 2021, Interlagos 2022). On the other hand, Russell seems – rightly so – to have no desire to retreat in comparison with the number 1 of the current Formula 1. In the post-race interviews, the Englishman dusted off a comment dear to Lewis Hamilton, attacking the behavior of Hasselt’s rival and clarifying his intentions: “I’m not going to move just because he’s Max Verstappen in a Red Bull“. The next episode of this saga may not be long in coming.
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