“Unnecessary” dig: George Russell criticised over remark after Verstappen clash

In a post-race interview, the Mercedes driver reflected on the late-race drama and quipped that he hadn’t seen such a bold move before—not in Formula 1, at least: “Maybe in Formula E. Maybe one British driver in Formula E.”

Though he didn’t mention Ticktum by name, the implication was clear. Ticktum didn’t let the comment slide.

Ticktum, 26, who has worked hard to rehabilitate his image after a controversial early career, responded candidly during an interview ahead of the Jakarta E-Prix, which he won today.

“My immediate reaction was, 'what the f*** are you doing' if I'm completely honest. I just thought it was a bit unnecessary.” he spoke to The Mirror.

He went on to question Russell’s motives, adding “It might have been in a totally jokey way, or it could have been on the more malicious side and he was just trying to unearth something and get the Dan Ticktum hate bandwagon riled up. I don't know what his motives were.”

The two Brits have taken very different paths in motorsport. While Russell now finds himself in a top seat at Mercedes, Ticktum’s F1 hopes were derailed in 2015, when he was banned for deliberately crashing into a rival under safety car conditions. Though the ban was later reduced, the incident left a stain on his reputation.

Despite the criticism, Ticktum made clear there was no personal animosity: “I respect George massively for where he's got to in his career and what he's done. He's made it. So I just thought the whole thing was a bit unnecessary.”