F1 fans point out George Russell hypocrisy over Max Verstappen 'violence' claim

George Russell and Max Verstappen in Austin — Photo: © IMAGO

Mercedes

F1 fans point out George Russell hypocrisy over Max Verstappen 'violence' claim

George Russell previously spoke of Max Verstappen's violence

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 27 May 2026 11:57

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F1 fans on social media have been ridiculing George Russell after his retirement from last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.

Russell's Mercedes broke down on lap 30, snatching the race lead away from him and ensuring he left Canada 43 points behind team-mate and championship rival Kimi Antonelli.

After pulling to the side of the circuit amid what looked to be a power unit issue for the Brit, Russell furiously unclipped his headrest and launched it onto the track.

Article continues under video

The incident was noted by FIA race stewards as a safety issue, and a clearly upset Russell stood at the side of the track looking disconsolate.

Now an edit of a Russell interview from 2024 has gone viral on social media, in which he slammed rival Max Verstappen's past behaviour.

In the video, Russell can be heard saying of Verstappen: "Whenever anything is not going his way, he lashes out with unnecessary anger and borderline violence."

The edit then cuts to Russell lashing out at his W17 following the Canadian GP last weekend, slamming his fists on the car and throwing the headrest onto the track.

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Russell's heartbreaking weekend

After Antonelli had won the previous three grands prix, Russell desperately needed to fight back with a victory at one of his favourite tracks on the calendar historically.

And after winning the sprint race and claiming pole position for the main grand prix, Russell was in a good position to do just that.

The Brit and Antonelli fought hard for the race lead in the opening 30 laps and Russell appeared to have the edge over his 19-year-old team-mate.

Who knows what would have happened if their battle continued on, but Russell's retirement from the race allowed Antonelli to run away with the grand prix victory, his fourth consecutive win.

It means that the pair move on to Monaco with 43 points between them in the battle for the drivers' championship.

F1 Max Verstappen Mercedes George Russell