Verstappen refuses to accept Russell apology as Red Bull left damaged

Max Verstappen insists that things are ‘not clarified’ between himself and George Russell after the Red Bull star reacted angrily to a coming together during the Azerbaijan sprint race on Saturday. Russell and Verstappen came face to face after the chequered flag, although it seems as though the Mercedes man’s apology did not resolve the issue.

Things generally haven’t gone Verstappen’s way since drivers descended on Baku. Despite winning two of the first three available Grands Prix this season, the Dutchman lagged behind Charles Leclerc in both Friday qualifying and Saturday’s sprint shootout.

It meant that Verstappen started third on the grid for the sprint race later on Saturday, and he immediately came under attack from Russell, who lined up fourth. A tense battle during the first three corners culminated in the Mercedes star going up the inside of Turn 3 and moving up to third, but he controversially clipped the reigning double world champion on his way past.

Verstappen raged at the manoeuvre, telling his team to ‘f***ing report’ the Englishman, but to no avail. He eventually came back to clinch third as Russell dropped down a place at the end of the 17-lap shootout.

But tensions boiled over after the chequered flag as Verstappen confronted Russell in the paddock, calling him a ‘d***head’. His post-race interview with Sky Sports was similarly fiery as he refused to accept the 25-year-old’s apology.

When asked whether harmony had been restored with Russell, an angry Verstappen responded: “No, it’s not clarified. I don’t understand why you need to take so many risks, under-steering into my sidepod and creating a hole. He had a beautiful way of explaining, ‘oh I locked up, look at the onboard’. But it’s fine. We got some good points but it is what it is.”

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