Max Verstappen and George Russell address the rivalry the two had due to their spat at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP

Max Verstappen touched upon his on-track rivalry with George Russell following the conclusion of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver, when asked about the rivalry that started from the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix and was alive again in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, shared a mixed response.

Verstappen and Russell made numerous headlines in the last couple of years for their on and off-track rivalry. From tussling on track to having a war of words off track, both of them showed unyielding behavior.

As stern as their rivalry was in 2024, it was hardly visible during the recently concluded race at Albert Park in Melbourne. Max Verstappen finished the race in P2, ahead of George Russell in P3. Following the race, they shared a brief chat in the cool down room before appearing for the prize distribution ceremony.

As the drivers moved to the press conference room after the race, Verstappen was asked about his 'beef' with Russell. The Dutchman was initially shocked by the question, but then he collected himself and said:

"No, it‘s still shockingly bad (smiles)."

The four-time world champion took a small pause, and then added:

"I mean it‘s all good, it’s all good."

While Max Verstappen was answering the question, George Russell looked at the camera and smiled. When his turn came, the Mercedes driver, too, did not give any conclusive answer to the question.

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How did Max Verstappen versus George Russell feud start?

Max Verstappen in action at the F1 Grand Prix Of Australia (Image Source: Getty)

It all started when George Russell and Max Verstappen collided during the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which damaged Verstappen's sidepod. Following the collision, Verstappen labeled Russell a "d**khead."

Fast forward to the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix — the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen to start the race from pole ahead of George Russell. However, F1 penalized the Dutchman by one grid place for unnecessarily slow driving in front of Russell during the qualifying.

This frustrated the Red Bull driver, who claimed that his Mercedes counterpart Russell was trying to screw him up. Russell, who was fuming upon hearing the response, hit back and labeled Verstappen as a bully.

After some war of words, F1 moved to Abu Dhabi, only to intensify the feud between the two. Addressing Russell's 'bully' tag, Max Verstappen stated that the Mercedes driver was a "liar" and he lost all respect for him. Reiterating the same, George Russell stated that he has no respect for the four-time champion as well.