Verstappen has "lost all respect" for Russell after Qatar GP penalty

Max Verstappen has "lost all respect" for George Russell after the Mercedes driver's role in demoting the four-time world champion from pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Russell was promoted to pole, but it was Verstappen who crossed the finish line first, joined by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Oscar Piastri on the podium.

Verstappen was slapped with a rare one-place grid penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding Russell in qualifying, although the stewards, after a hearing attended by both drivers, said there were mitigating circumstances as neither driver was on a flying lap.

"I was quite surprised, when sitting there in the stewards' room, what was all going on," Verstappen told Sky Sports after winning Sunday's race.

"It was honestly very disappointing, because I think all of us here, we respect each other a lot.

"I've been in that meeting room many times in my life and my career with people that I've raced. And I've never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. For me, I lost all respect.

"I couldn't believe that I got [the penalty]. But in a way, I was also not surprised anymore in the world that I live in.

"I'm not happy with it, but at one point or another you have to just turn the page.

"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 penalised.

"Actually, I just tried to be nice, so maybe I shouldn't be nice. I didn't want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap. And by doing that, being nice, basically you get a penalty."

Another milestone mastered Max’s win in Qatar takes him over 3000 career points @snapper_thommo #F1 || #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/SBRVxTifPM

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) December 2, 2024

Verstappen's win in Qatar saw him become only the third driver in Formula One history to break the 3,000 points barrier, joining Lewis Hamilton (4,847.50) and Sebastian Vettel (3,098) in achieving the feat.

Meanwhile, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that the 27-year-old driver used the incident as a fuel to breeze to a ninth victory of the season.

"He was annoyed with George, and the way things played out in front of the stewards. And he carried that motivation into the race," Horner said.

"It was clearly evident that he was super-motivated going into this race.

"I think you could sense that George kind of sensed that as well. I think there was a little bit of a moment between the two of them on the trailer as they went around the circuit, that Max felt that things just went a bit too far."

The 2024 F1 season will conclude this weekend with the Abu Dhabi GP, with McLaren and Ferrari still battling for the Constructors' Championship.