Russell’s fury with Verstappen is all part of his development

George Russell’s extraordinary row with Max Verstappen has caught many by surprise – but really, it is not that unexpected. The content of the explosive verbal boxing match between the two, however, is.

Russell claiming that Verstappen told him ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix he was “going to purposely go out of his way to crash into me, and put my f****** head in the wall” is a very serious accusation.

If the FIA is adamant about clamping down on driver behaviour, namely swearing, then surely it must consider and investigate Russell’s grave accusation and posed threat to his life?

The incendiary words delivered in a series of press conferences over the course of Thursday here in Abu Dhabi will draw all the attention in this season finale on a weekend where McLaren and Ferrari battle it out for the constructors’ championship.

Russell’s press session was one of those rare moments in F1 where it was entirely dominated by one subject. It was unrelenting and Russell was unrepentant.

Clearly still emotional from the incident four days ago where Verstappen is alleged to have made his threat, Russell sat at a table in the Mercedes hospitality and was bristling, eyes fixed on each journalist that asked a question.

Inside the Mercedes hospitality unit within in the paddock, it was standing room only, as the ensemble media waited to see if he would react to Verstappen’s comment an hour earlier where he had labelled the Briton a liar.

Unusually, Russell was joined on his left by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who at one point indicated to a colleague that he too wanted to have his say on the matter.

He was given his opportunity and in his long answer called Red Bull boss Christian Horner a “yapping little terrier” who ‘always has something to say’. Wolff would also target his counterpart for comments suggesting Russell was “hysterical”.

Was it a show of support for his driver? Or just muscle memory to take aim at old foes Red Bull? Whatever the case, it was unnecessary, for his driver was comfortably holding court on his own and was speaking with conviction. Russell did not need anyone to hold his hand.

This goes back to the point at the top of this article, for many see Russell as mild-mannered. His foppish hair, his plummy accent – too much of a jolly, nice…