How the intense Verstappen-Russell 'died down'

Dec.13 (GMM) The intense heat seems to have dissipated after the Max Verstappen versus George Russell spat.

When the pair were exchanging barbs and insults over the Qatar GP qualifying penalty situation, insiders raised their eyebrows about Russell’s role as senior director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.

So while the duo sat at opposite ends of the table for the drivers’ end-of-season dinner in Abu Dhabi, a couple of days later, they were photographed side-by-side for the GPDA meeting.

“This was done intentionally,” GPDA chairman Alex Wurz told formel1.de, “and agreed upon by all 20 GPDA members who came to the meeting.

“It was important for me to say that the sport is bigger than individual drivers and the GPDA is bigger than its individual members. I said ‘Pictures say more than a thousand words – you don’t have to hug or shake hands, just stand together’.”

Wurz added that he is confident the message is clear that there will be “no more discussions from either side” on the topic.

Respected German journalist Michael Schmidt agrees.

“I think both drivers said ‘Enough is enough, this is not going to work anymore,'” the Auto Motor und Sport correspondent said on his Formel Schmidt feature.

“Verstappen then announced that he is going to be a father, and the focus was suddenly on something else. I think it has been resolved now,” Schmidt added.

“They will never be the best of friends, and they weren’t in the past either. And that had something to do with it as well. If the same thing had happened between (Lando) Norris and Verstappen, it wouldn’t have gone the same way.”

Schmidt also thinks Verstappen’s management team, and Red Bull, played a role in taking the heat out of the spat.

“A driver who accuses another driver of wanting to put him in the wall can have consequences,” he noted. “That can reach all the way to the FIA president.

“If he then has it out for Max, there could be a penalty. That’s another reason why the fuss has died down.”