16 June 2023 , 14:54
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George Russell moved to clarify the suggestion he made that there are three drivers on the Formula 1 grid he feels "uncomfortable" racing against.
Given how fast these cars go and how often they have to be within millimetres of one another, there has to be a lot of mutual trust between drivers. One mistake or misjudgement can cause a huge crash for someone else.
Naturally, there are varying levels of experience and judgement across the grid. And Russell, when asked about racing against Max Verstappen, recently suggested there is an unnamed trio of his peers that he doesn't quite trust as much as the rest.
"[There are] maybe three drivers on the grid who you wouldn't feel comfortable going against," said the Mercedes racer. "There's a trust between most of the drivers. I don't think [they] have the spatial awareness of others."
Ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, Russell was asked about those comments as he spoke to reporters in Montreal. In response, he asserted that he had not meant for his words to come across in that way.
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He said: "It was something taken a little bit out of context when asked how it was racing with Max and if he is less aggressive and whether I enjoy racing with him or not.
"I said I enjoy racing, or more comfortable racing the very best guys in the business, more so than some of the others who don't have the spatial awareness of the greatest ones on the grid.
Max Verstappen confronted George Russell after a battle at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April (Sky Sports)"Every single driver on this grid is an extremely talented driver and everyone has won in their respective categories on their journey. But, clearly, there are two or three drivers who are a cut above the rest."
Russell and Verstappen were involved in a flashpoint at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April. During the Saturday Sprint race, the pair made contact which left the Red Bull racer furious about the damage done to the sidepod of his car.
After the session, Verstappen angrily confronted his Mercedes counterpart in parc ferme in an exchange which culminated in him calling the Brit a "d***head". Russell later described that outburst as "pathetic", though they have both since said the incident is now water under the bridge.