F1 reporter says George Russell's media attack against Max Verstappen after 2024 Qatar GP was pre-planned

Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz has suggested that George Russell's verbal attack against Max Verstappen before the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP was premeditated. According to Kravitz, the Mercedes driver had approached the reporter a minute before their scheduled interview time slot and instructed him to ask a question about his incident with Verstappen a week prior in Qatar.

The two drivers butted heads after qualifying in the Qatar GP, where Verstappen earned pole position, only to be stripped of it later for impeding Russell. Since the Mercedes driver was on his outlap and not a timed lap, the Red Bull driver was let off with a one-place penalty, handing Russell pole position.

After the race, which Verstappen won, the Red Bull driver said he had lost all respect for the Brit. A week later, during the Abu Dhabi GP race weekend, George Russell described Verstappen as a "bully" who "cannot deal with adversity and lashes out with unnecessary anger and borderline violence."

In his new book, F1 Insider: Notes from the Pit Lane, published in September, Ted Kravitz provided further details about Russell's monologue, which he said was pre-planned.

"A week after Qatar, when Russell arrived at the Abu Dhabi track, he was in no mood to let the Verstappen situation lie," Kravitz wrote (as quoted by F1oversteer). "I’d spent the day interviewing drivers at the TV pen, but hadn’t yet heard any earth-shattering stories. A minute before his time slot, up strode George. He called me over to the edge of the pen – ‘make sure you ask me a follow-up question’.

“What do you mean?’ I asked. [He replied] ‘I’m going to give it back to Max. I’ve had enough of him bad-mouthing me in the press, and I’m going to call him out on his bullying tactics. I know you’re only supposed to ask me one question, but never mind that, I’m up for as many questions as you like.’

"Before checking to see if he was wearing a Drive to Survive microphone, I asked him if he was absolutely sure he wanted to escalate what was effectively last year’s story, and start a new fight with Max – never an easy battle to win. He said he was positive, and away he went."

Max Verstappen called George Russell a "loser" and a "backstabber" in response

Max Verstappen with George Russell at the F1 Grand Prix of Canada - Qualifying - Source: Getty

A portion of George Russell's comments referred to an incident that allegedly occurred after they had left a meeting with the stewards. Russell alleged that Max Verstappen had threatened to "put me on my f****** head in the wall" at the start of the Qatar GP.

When the four-time F1 champion was presented with that accusation, he claimed Russell was "exaggerating again." The Red Bull driver said (via ESPN):

"Yeah, but George is a backstabber. The way he brings up all this nonsense, he's just a loser. He lies and cobbles things together that don't add up. I only voiced my opinion about his behavior with the stewards. Clearly, he couldn't handle that."

George Russell and Max Verstappen's paths crossed again this year, albeit not violently, when Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed interest in signing the Dutchman for the 2026 season. However, nothing came of it, and Verstappen committed to Red Bull. Yet, Russell's contract situation remains undecided.