Max Verstappen has criticised George Russell for his part in their collision on the opening lap of the F1 Sprint from Azerbaijan.
Verstappen started third just ahead of the Mercedes driver on Saturday afternoon but, after a solid start by the Briton, he found himself on Verstappen’s inside at Turn 2.
Contact between the pair left Verstappen with a wounded Red Bull, before Russell eventually got down the inside into Turn 3.
READ MORE: Russell: Verstappen would have raced the same if roles reversed in Baku Sprint clash
The Dutchman claimed the place back on the Safety Car restart following Yuki Tsunoda’s crash, and he brought his damaged RB19 to the finish line in third behind race winner and team-mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
The reigning World Champion confronted his rival after the chequered flag in parc ferme, and when Russell explained that he had little grip on the first lap, Verstappen affirmed that this was the case for all of the drivers.
The stewards took a look at the incident and ruled that no action was necessary.
Verstappen said after the session that a lack of grip does not justify what he feels was a mistake on Russell’s part.
“I mean, I respect all the drivers a lot,” he told Sky F1. “And it’s a bit of common sense as well what you do on the first lap.
“I think you just have to picture yourself as well, I mean they [Mercedes] are off the pace. And to risk that much on lap one– it’s not very rewarding anyway, because I would get him anyway within a few laps.
“So, the potential to damage your car as well, not only my car – I mean of course I had a hole in my sidepod – but he could also get a puncture and then his race is over as well.
“I thought I was fair in Turn 2; I gave him enough space but clearly, I think he locked up. He tells me ‘yeah I had cold tyres’ – we all had cold tyres, that’s not an excuse. And I don’t like when someone just has that kind of reaction about, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’ and just walks off. It’s what it is.”
Responding to Russell’s reasoning that Verstappen could have waited a lap instead of fighting the position, the 24-year-old argued: “I was not overtaking him, he was overtaking me. I was trying to stay out of trouble, and then… but that’s again, there’s two views. It’s my view, it’s his view. Whatever.”
The Red Bull driver suggested that, were he in Russell’s position on the inside, he would have fought cleanly.
“I would try to fight but not run into someone, because that’s not what you want to do,” stated Verstappen. “But that’s something maybe you also learn over time. Of course I had my moments as well when I just started in Formula 1 where you make some silly mistakes of lock-ups or potential damage. And maybe it’s just part of the learning curve.”
After qualifying second on Friday for the main race on Sunday, Verstappen feels he has a “good chance of winning” as long as his car is in good condition.
