The last couple of races have been a headache for the governing body as the race to the world title is getting intense. In the Austin GP, Lando Norris was rewarded a five-second penalty as he went outside the white line to overtake Max Verstappen. This time, the Dutchman was on the receiving end, getting twenty-second penalties combined with two demerit points.
Max Verstappen yet again tried to defend his position from a surging Lando Norris. The RB20, which was severely off-pace, left Verstappen with no other options but to opt for defensive tactics. George Russell, also the director of the Grand Prix Driver’s Association, was pleased to see strict actions against unfair driving. He shared his thoughts on the Verstappen-Norris faceoff after the Mexico showdown.
George Russell Praises Race Stewards Amid Verstappen-Norris Clash
In Mexico, George Russell addressed the ongoing scrutiny of the championship contenders’ on-track behavior, particularly in light of Max Verstappen’s 20-second penalty for two infractions. Russell expressed his expectation that the stewards would maintain a strict stance moving forward.
He shared that nearly all drivers, except one, were in favor of the stewards adopting a more immediate approach to penalizing certain incidents rather than waiting until 2025 for new guidelines. According to Russell, the stewards recognize and support the need for change.
He highlighted that most drivers felt it was crucial to implement adjustments promptly if they were deemed necessary rather than delaying until the next season. Russell noted that he was pleased to see recent incidents penalized and anticipated that similar behaviors would not be tolerated in upcoming races, such as in Brazil. While he acknowledged that implementing changes might be more complicated than expected, with processes requiring approval and voting, he emphasized that most drivers were unified in their views on the direction the sport needs to take regarding penalties and racing conduct.
Russell Describes His Battle With Lewis Hamilton As “Hard And Fair”
George Russell characterized his racing battles with teammate Lewis Hamilton as “hard and fair,” highlighting their competitive dynamic. During the race, he successfully defended his position against Hamilton until the start of the 66th lap.
Russell also addressed the incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, particularly Verstappen’s aggressive maneuver at Turn 7, where he carried significant speed into the corner and forced Norris off track. He noted that this type of driving reminded him of Verstappen’s controversial move on Hamilton during the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix.
While Russell enjoyed the competition with Hamilton, he expressed concern about the nature of some recent on-track maneuvers. He observed that many moves were straying beyond the realm of entertaining racing and veering into unfair territory. He acknowledged that the first incident might have been a close call but deemed the latter incident as exceptionally out of line, comparing it to Verstappen’s actions in Brazil two years prior.