George Russell and Max Verstappen faced off once more in the battle for the Canadian Grand Prix and the Briton came out on top.
It’s widely known within the paddock that the two aren’t the best of friends, after a string of incidents last year led to some friction between them. Russell in particular was upset with the Dutchman.
Fast forward to this year, and Verstappen doesn’t have the dominant car he has enjoyed over the last few seasons. Now, he’s third in the drivers’ championship, with Russell just behind in fourth.
Both drivers are separated by just 19 points, and are likely to be in close quarters for the rest of 2025 as their teams prepare for the 2026 F1 regulations.
Russell ‘surprised’ Helmut Marko before Red Bull’s protest in Montreal, and suffered from little tyre wear during the race. It’s a big reason why he was able to keep the reigning champion behind.
In another twist in car development, Russell proved Mercedes right by leading his team to victory after the re-installation of a rear suspension upgrade which they had removed from the car.
The biggest controversy of the race came under safety car conditions at the end, after a tense exchange between the two leading drivers.
READ MORE: George Russell’s unheard radio messages may explain why Red Bull’s Canadian Grand Prix protest was thrown out
George Russell did something against Max Verstappen that Nico Rosberg had ‘never seen’ before
After the Canadian Grand Prix, Red Bull decided to protest the result, claiming unsportsmanlike conduct from Russell, who braked hard to try and get Verstappen to pass him under the safety car, thus ‘breaking’ the rules.
Verstappen was cleared of any wrongdoing in his accidental pass, while Red Bull’s protest on Russell was thrown out after hours of deliberation after the race. F1 fans labelled the FIA ‘a joke’ after the ordeal.
2016 Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg revealed to Sky Sports F1’s The F1 Show podcast that he spotted Russell do something he had ‘never seen’ before during the race.
“It happened again in Montreal because under the safety car, Max was being cheeky and trying to go right next to George, which you don’t like that as a driver when you see this guy trying to make himself really big next to you,” he said.
“It feels like he’s really trying to add pressure. So George slammed the brakes. He slammed the brakes and made Max overshoot him, so Max actually overtook him and I’ve never seen someone be so fast on the radio button.
“Max overshoots it by a metre, George is instantly, he probably had his thumb on the radio button already. So, he’s instant on the radio button.”
READ MORE: Max Verstappen makes ‘really good’ George Russell comment after Mercedes rival wins the Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen and George Russell’s off-camera move suggests relationship change
It’s unusual to see a Formula 1 relationship deteriorate without the intensity of a championship fight, which is what makes Verstappen and Russell’s fallout slightly confusing.
Yet Verstappen and Russell’s relationship may have changed after they were seen chatting off-camera in Canada, getting on well.
Guenther Steiner suggests Verstappen didn’t like one thing Russell did and that it lit a bit of a competitive fire within him.
It’ll be intriguing to see where the battle goes next, particularly if McLaren continue to struggle and three teams are in the fight for victories at most races.
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