George Russell and four-time world champion Max Verstappen have been battling off the track in a war of words since the Qatar Grand Prix last time out.
The rivalry was sparked in qualifying at the Lusail International Circuit when Verstappen was judged to have driven too slowly while preparing to begin a flying lap.
Verstappen was given a one-place grid drop, which is a rare penalty to see, and saw the Dutchman lose pole position and drop to second place behind the Mercedes driver.
The race was eventually won by Verstappen after a supposedly frosty meeting in the stewards room ahead of the Grand Prix.
The 2016 Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg explained that Russell did one thing in particular amid the drama with Verstappen, which was nice to see.
It was ‘great to see’ George Russell not backing down from Max Verstappen
Verstappen has been incredibly successful in recent years and is heading into 2025 looking for his fifth world championship at Red Bull.
The Dutchman has been the driver to beat, particularly in the ground effect era, since 2022 as he saw off the challenge of teammate Sergio Perez and, more recently, Mclaren’s Lando Norris this season.
He has built a reputation in wheel-to-wheel combat that Verstappen is difficult to overtake which Norris has found out on multiple occasions this season.
Norris collided with Verstappen in Austria and initially was very direct with his comments in the media before switching to a softer approach later on, giving his rival a mental advantage.
READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer praises George Russell for how he ‘stood up’ to Max Verstappen unlike Lando Norris
Rosberg explained that Russell’s approach has been good to see over the past week as a driver has stood his ground against Verstappen.
The German said on Sky Sports F1 (7/12 11:26): “I think it’s just George really wants to stand up and hold his ground, which, for me, looks strong on him because he’s really sticking to his line.
“Standing up to Max, who we know always goes to the grey area and beyond. Max is incredibly aggressive in everything. I think it’s great to see George really standing his ground there.”
George Russell will have to become a team leader next season at Mercedes
Russell will have to lead the team at Mercedes as he will be partnered with Andrea Kimi Antonelli who has been a Mercedes junior driver.
The Italian driver has been fast-tracked up the junior ladder, but Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has lowered expectations for Antonelli.
He will have to keep the car on the track and learn from Russell over the season but it will be a challenge for Antonelli to adapt quickly among the added media attention.
Russell will have to be very consistent and maximise the car as his teammate may have a slower process with building up to race pace and finding the limit over a single lap.
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