Russell on his approach to rivalry with 'aggressive' Verstappen

In Canada, Max Verstappen and George Russell were summoned by the stewards, not for the first time. Red Bull Racing had filed a protest for the incident behind the safety car.

Tensions between the two peaked particularly after qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. There, according to Verstappen, Russell had tried to stitch the Dutchman up for a penalty. Verstappen said he lost respect for the Brit after that and reportedly confronted Russell during the drivers' parade.

Verstappen emerged from that battlewinning the race despite a grid penalty, while Russell subsequently attacked Verstappen in Abu Dhabi and criticised the way he acts as a 'bully' in Formula 1, to which Verstappen had no response.

The Spanish Grand Prix this season also saw the two drivers come to blows, with Verstappen swerving into Russell and receiving three penalty points for his actions. However, all these moments are something that Russell barely entertains.

“I don’t know,” began the Mercedes driver in response to GPblog's question about whether there is a rivalry between him and Verstappen.

"That is sort of my approach when raising somebody of his calibre, but ultimately, I'm going about my own business. I am fighting for myself, my team, and if Max and I have come together a few times over the last six months, that's just the way it's panned out," concluded the Brit at the Austrian Grand Prix.