Tensions are high heading into Formula 1’s 2024 season finale at Abu Dhabi, with both George Russell and Max Verstappen trading blows in a dramatic war of words. 

But that didn’t stop their fellow drivers from pranking a late-arriving Russell at the drivers’ end-of-season dinner.

George Russell pranked by fellow drivers in Abu Dhabi

A strange battle of words between Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has dominated the headlines heading into the 2024 Formula 1 season finale at Abu Dhabi.

During last weekend’s race in Qatar, Verstappen received a one-place grid penalty after Russell nearly crashed into him in qualifying. Russell claimed he was following the minimum delta speed and would have collided with Verstappen had he not taken avoiding action; Verstappen claimed that he was trying to avoid disrupting the laps of other drivers and accused Russell of complaining to the stewards..

After the race, Verstappen claimed he “lost all respect” for Russell, going on to accuse the driver of being “two-faced.”

Russell responded by stating that Verstappen was angry even before they’d spoken, claiming he was going to intentionally hit the Briton during the race. He stated that he would not be “bullied” by Verstappen.

But those tension didn’t stop the other drivers on the grid from teasing the two rivals.

Dig into the latest battle between George Russell and Max Verstappen:

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On Thursday evening, most of the grid gathered together for a traditional end-of-season dinner shared between the drivers. According to the BBC, Russell was the final driver to arrive for the meal — and the rest of the field had a surprise for him.

There were only two seats remaining at the table. Both were next to Verstappen.

Per the BBC, Verstappen waved and said, “Hi George,” before motioning for Russell to sit down. Russell said hello, but he quickly moved one of the empty chairs away to seat himself next to his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

It was certainly a cheeky move by the fellow drivers to stoke the flames of the rivalry, but it does beg the question: Had Russell sat next to Verstappen, could they have quashed their beef over dinner?

Read next: Revealed: All the official (and unofficial) goodbyes being said in Abu Dhabi