George Russell has hit back at Max Verstappen after the furious row between the pair following the sprint race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The rival drivers collided at the start of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint race, although both were able to continue with Verstappen taking P3 one place ahead of the Mercedes man. The incident occurred as Russell tried to take the Red Bull man on the inside, but Verstappen held his line in a bid to defend his position.
The pair confronted each other afterwards, with the Dutchman angrily calling Russell a 'd***head' before ranting to reporters: “[Defending] is not allowed because ‘Princess George’ is there? At the end of the day, that’s his problem too. Everyone has their own opinion. But I think I gave him space and then he should also just corner normally."
But the Englishman has also remained defiant and insisted he wasn't obliged to hold back against the world championship leader. Addressing reports, Russell said: “I was on the inside. The position was already lost from him and I was really quite surprised he was still trying to hold it on the outside.
“Ever since we’re eight years old in go karting, if you’re on the inside at the apex, it’s your corner and if you try and hold it on the outside, you’re taking the risk. I’m here to fight. I’m here to win. I’m not just going to wave him by because he’s Max Verstappen in a Red Bull."
Former world champion Damon Hill backed his compatriot, comparing Verstappen's single-minded mentality to that of all-time greats Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. "I can see that Max had the line, was slightly ahead and was thinking to himself, 'I'm not going to yield but I'm going to try to stay out of George's way'," said the Sky Sports pundit. "But George definitely couldn't turn the car hard enough.
Who was at fault for the incident in the sprint race - Russell or Verstappen? Comment below.
"But it's racing. If he wanted to stay out of trouble, he should have got pole position. That's the best way to stay out of trouble. It's the default mindset of someone like Max, that they're always right."
Verstappen's mood would have plundered further on Sunday, as an ill-timed safety car cost him dear as he took second behind team-mate, and nearest title rival, Sergio Perez. Russell, meanwhile, could only finish eighth as Mercedes again struggled to keep pace with the front runners.
Verstappen still leads Perez by six points in the standings, but it's been a tempestuous period for the 25-year-old. During the recent season break, he raised eyebrows by again threatening to retire from the sport prematurely, citing the intensity of the current F1 calendar.
