George Russell’s Red Bull CV claim after Max Verstappen ‘loses the plot’

George Russell claimed that, after a tempestuous Hungarian Grand Prix, a quarter of Max Verstappen’s engineering team sent their credentials to other teams “because they can’t deal with a guy like that.”

Russell gave an extraordinary press conference ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in which he and Verstappen resumed their acrimony from Qatar where the pair were reported to the stewards following qualifying.

George Russell makes Max Verstappen claim after Hungary troubles

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

The Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before the summer break, was arguably a low within Verstappen’s season, when his frustration was evident through multiple team radio messages, before a collision with Lewis Hamilton that, when he claimed his former sparring partner “moved under braking”, race engineer GianPiero Lambiase responded by saying he would not get involved in a “childish” argument with other teams over the radio channel – with the Dutchman eventually crossing the line fifth.

Russell and Verstappen have spoken publicly about their Qatar argument that came as a result of their stewards’ room visit last time out, when the Red Bull driver was handed a one-place grid penalty as a result of impeding the Mercedes driver.

Both have doubled down on their own stances, with Verstappen saying he has “no regrets at all” of how he handled the situation, while Russell claimed the Red Bull driver said he would “put me on my f***ing head in the wall” when on track after the two left the stewards.

Verstappen has denied that accusation, but in a season in which Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claimed to have signed 220 engine staff from Mercedes for their new Powertrains division, and McLaren CEO Zak Brown said there has been an “increase in CVs” coming to McLaren from Red Bull in search of a job, Russell added a claim that the reigning World Champion’s show of temper at the Hungaroring prompted another round of applications elsewhere.

“I’m not questioning his driving abilities one single bit, but the second he does not have the fastest car, let’s take Budapest as an example, he crashes into Lewis, he slams his whole team, and he loses the plot,” Russell told media including PlanetF1.com.

Max Verstappen vs George Russell: An unfolding argument in Abu Dhabi

👉 Russell claims Verstappen threatened to ‘put me on my f**king head in the wall’

👉 Max Verstappen takes latest shot at ‘lying’ George Russell in new tactical plan reveal

“Straight away after that race, 25% of his engineering team were sending their CVs to Mercedes, to McLaren, to Aston Martin, because they said they can’t deal with a guy like that.”

Russell had sat down with the media to give his side of the story regarding his and Verstappen’s stewards meeting in Qatar, with Verstappen having stated he “lost all respect” for the Mercedes driver as a result of him purportedly lobbying for a penalty against the Red Bull driver.

When the Briton walked in, he believes it was a different story at Lusail last time out.

“It’s funny, because even before I said a word in the stewards, he was swearing at the stewards,” Russell said.

“He was so angry before I’d even spoken, and at the end of the day, there’s nothing to lie about.

“The facts were the facts. He was going too slow; he was on the racing line in the highest-speed corner.

“I wasn’t trying to get him a penalty at all when I was on track, I was in pole position at this time, I was just trying to prepare my lap.

“And as drivers, you fight hard on track, you fight hard in the stewards the same way as Max, the very next day, asked his team to look at Lando’s penalty through the yellow flag.

“That’s not personal [from] Max to Lando, that’s just racing – and I do not see why he felt the need for this personal attack, and I’m not going to take it.”

Read next: Mercedes now ready for Red Bull war again as F1 2021 repeat brews