Russell handed ‘arse kicked’ warning amid brutal criticism

George Russell needs to be taken down a peg or two, according to two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Gijs van Lennep.

In the view of the Dutchman, the Mercedes driver will get his "arse kicked" in F1, but needs to be shown a "yellow card" for his conduct.

Speaking on the Ziggo Sport programme Langs de Vangrails about the en vogue issue of drivers swearing and the FIA clampdown on it, the 82-year-old used the opportunity to address his feelings towards Russell.

"It's a difficult problem," he stated. "If it were up to me they can say anything, they just shouldn't slander each other.”

He segued to talk about the 26-year-old British driver, adding: "Look at Russell. You think, 'that's a nice guy, beardless, a neat guy', but meanwhile, behind everyone's back, that's the biggest crook of all time."

It is something Van Lennep, who raced in eight grands prix in the 1970s, evidently cannot stomach.

"You should give that one a hefty yellow card," he said, leaning into Max Verstappen's assertion from the Qatar Grand Prix last year that Russell is two-faced.

The events over the penultimate round of the 2024 F1 season led to a heated war of words between the two in the media, with Mercedes and Red Bull team principals Toto Wolff and Christian Horner also getting involved.

To Verstappen, the person Russell portrays himself as in the press is in stark contrast to who he is behind closed doors.

"He [Russell] behaves so nicely and thinks he is doing everything right and Max Verstappen is not," Van Lennep continued.

"That's the kind of guy I think they should tackle at some point. But he will get his arse kicked, you know. Formula 1 will be something this year..."