Mercedes driver George Russell believes Max Verstappen will drive “less aggressively than ever before” in Formula 1 due to Red Bull’s speed advantage in 2023.
Verstappen is currently on his way to his third consecutive world title. His 2023 successes have so far seen little wheel-to-wheel battles, marking his success in 2021 against Russell’s teammate Lewis Hamilton and his early struggles in 2022 against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
The Dutchman only defended at the start of the last race in Barcelona against Carlos Sainz, but this did not cause controversy as Verstappen kept his car sufficiently on track and Sainz felt that “he defended well, passed me and did what he had to do”.
Elsewhere in 2023, Verstappen caused an upset when he reacted angrily to a small touch with Russell early in the sprint in Baku, calling the Brit “a stubborn man” during a post-race chat at Parc Ferme.
All of these developments follow Verstappen’s statement in late 2022 that he and the other drivers of Formula 1’s younger generation “get on better” and that a perceived lack of understanding with Hamilton is likely contributing to their repeated on-track clashes since early 2021.
Russell was asked this question before the Spanish Grand Prix. The question also related to his relationships with other long-time rivals in Formula 1, having forged over more than a decade in the junior categories and now at the forefront of global motorsport as part of the younger generation that Verstappen currently leads.
Russell: Good cooperation is part of fair racing
“I think we all know each other pretty well,” Russell replies. “We know each other’s driving styles, we know what risks each other is taking. I raced against Max and Charles for the first time in 2011, and also against Esteban [Ocon]to be exact.”
“I raced these guys before I raced Alex [Albon] or Lando [Norris] drove, which is a bit interesting considering the differences in nationality [da diese beiden und Russell alle in Großbritannien geboren sind und in diesem Land Motorsport an der Basis betreiben].”
“But like Alex and Lando, we grew up karting and watching other races. So I’ve always watched when Alex was in the older age group or Lando was in the lower age group. We know each other and that probably helps how we race against each other.”
Russell doesn’t trust three drivers on the grid
“But when you’re fighting for the championship you’re also fighting a little differently and Max is probably less aggressive now than ever before because he’s not in a position where he has to be aggressive. He can lose a position and he knows that he will recapture her later.”
“Whereas we’re probably more in a position now where it’s about getting that one shot at a win during the season,” said Russell, suggesting the pursuers are more willing to take risks.
Interestingly, when asked about the importance of trusting his F1 peers, Russell says there are “maybe three drivers on the grid that you’re not comfortable against”.
“There is trust between most drivers,” he adds. “I do not think that [diese drei ungenannten Fahrer] have the spatial awareness of others. That’s why you prefer to fight the best drivers because you know they can control their car better and put it in difficult but not dangerous positions when you compare it to someone who might not be on the same level as the best. “