Max Verstappen and George Russell‘s heated rivalry took center stage in Abu Dhabi, overshadowing what should’ve been a focus on the constructors’ championship battle.
The two F1 stars, who happen to be neighbors in Monaco, traded some pretty harsh words after their stewards’ room encounter. Verstappen didn’t hold back, saying he’d lost “all respect” for Russell.
It got so tense that at a drivers’ dinner, someone thought it’d be funny to seat them next to each other for the GPDA photo. Talk about awkward.
But Eddie Jordan thinks we’re all missing the point here.
“We shouldn’t even be talking about this,” Jordan says. “We should be focusing on the race, on Carlos Sainz, on the upcoming season, and the new talent like young Doohan.”
Jordan, who recently shared his own battle with an aggressive form of cancer, has some unique insight into these racing feuds. He’s been there himself, in those tense stewards’ room moments.
“When I’m in a steward’s room, lying through my teeth hoping they might believe me, I’d expect the driver to keep quiet,” he explains. “It’s not his business. He’s just there as a witness.”
That’s exactly what got under Verstappen’s skin – Russell didn’t stay quiet.
“George didn’t need to speak up,” Jordan points out. “That’s the team principal’s job. Red Bull had it under control.”
The whole thing started when Russell accused Verstappen of threatening to deliberately crash into him at the Qatar GP start.
But Jordan’s got a different take on those kinds of threats.
“Look, in my Formula Ford and Formula 3 days, how many times did drivers say ‘if you come near me, I’ll turn you over’? I’ve said it hundreds of times. It’s just racing driver talk – it’s all about showing who’s boss.”
