George Russell has said he doesn’t “lose sleep over” his feud with Max Verstappen that kicked off at Formula 1‘s Qatar Grand Prix last year.
With Mercedes dwindling form in the ground effects era, Russell and Verstappen seldom came to blows on track.
However, at the Lusail International Circuit last season, the duo were involved in a combustible incident that led to a fiery war of words.
Russell, who felt that the Dutchman had impeded him in qualifying, vehemently defended his case before the stewards, which led to a grid drop for the Red Bull driver.
The 27-year-old’s conduct with the stewards later prompted Verstappen to say he had lost all respect for Russell, with the latter calling the four-time F1 champion a “bully”.
Almost a year on from that particular incident, which also carried into the season finale at Abu Dhabi, Russell says that the duo have come to terms with their differences.
“We just say hello to each other. We don’t really speak,” he told The Telegraph.
“But we don’t ignore each other. I don’t lose sleep over it. And for sure, he doesn’t lose sleep over it. So it doesn’t bother me one single bit.”
Russell would relish Verstappen challenge at Mercedes
Since Lewis Hamilton’s departure, Russell has assumed the team leader position at the Brackley-based squad alongside rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
And despite strong results for the German marque, Russell was only confirmed for a race seat in 2026 at the United States Grand Prix, two weeks ago.
While Toto Wolff has insisted the delay was due to settling the fine print in both his drivers’ contracts, the paddock is well aware of the Austrian’s pursuit of Verstappen.
With neither Antonelli nor Russell confirmed for 2027, Verstappen might still be a target for Wolff – something that doesn’t really bother the five-time Grand Prix winner.
“Life is short. We’re all adults. We all learn from these experiences. You don’t need to be best mates as team-mates,” said Russell went asked if he would fancy having the 28-year-old as his team-mate.
The Kings-Lynn native cited the likes of Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and former team-mate Hamilton to make a case for him to go toe-to-toe with Verstappen despite their storied past.
“Senna and Prost weren’t good friends, and they still finished one-two. Lewis and Nico [Rosberg], one-two,” he began.
“Obviously, Lewis and Fernando [Alonso] is a notable exception. But Lewis should have won that year [2007].
“So yeah, Max is an incredible driver. There’s no denying that. But that’s why I would relish going up against him. We all believe we’re the best.”
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