Russell voices life-threatening worry over Verstappen title loss

George Russell has dug up F1 skeletons of old at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as the Mercedes driver's burgeoning hostilities with Max Verstappen reaches a new plane. The 26-year-old has sensationally claimed that former race director Michael Masi would be "fearing for his life" if Verstappen had lost the F1 drivers' championship in 2021 in the same manner in which Lewis Hamilton missed out on the crown. It is worth mentioning, given the severity of the situation in 2021 and Russell's remarks now that Masi did receive death threats for his handling of the season finale that year, his final race in F1. Ahead of this year's finale at the Yas Marina Circuit, new life has been breathed into the contentious 2021 title decider where Masi's actions on a safety car restart allowed Verstappen the chance to pass Hamilton on the final lap. The spat between Russell and Verstappen stems from qualifying in Qatar, with heated exchanges being triggered between the pair, as Mercedes boss Toto Wolff even got involved. The British driver feels the Red Bull star has been enabled for too long, with the FIA's recent clampdown long overdue in his view. "I think he's been enabled, because nobody's stood up to him," Russell told media including RacingNews365 . "Lewis [Hamilton] stood up to him in 2021 and Lewis lost that championship unfairly. "Could you imagine the roles being reversed and Max losing that championship in the manner that Lewis Lewis lost that championship. "[Michael] Masi would have will be fearing for his life."

Ultimately, Russell believes Verstappen's antics are almost self-policing, given the adverse effects the Red Bull driver's style had on his races in Mexico City and Hungary this year. To Russell, the FIA is now wise to the four-time F1 drivers' champion's approach. "As I said, some of the recent incidents, he has been punished, and he punished himself in Mexico with the reckless overtakes, in Budapest with the reckless overtake, but it's just in the past, he's had such a dominant car he's not been in this position," he said. "So, I think the FIA are pretty on it now, and I don't think much needs to change from their viewpoint, because he's going to punish himself one way or another."