It has develop into custom lately for Lewis Hamilton to organise an end-of-year dinner for Method One’s drivers on the closing grand prix in Abu Dhabi; an opportunity to place apart variations and catch up in an off-the-cuff setting.
This 12 months’s meal had some critical further spice, although, with two of the drivers at present engaged
Lando Norris joked on Instagram on Thursday night time that George Russell and Max Verstappen – who had spent all afternoon because the fallout from – “sat as far-off from one another as doable” at this 12 months’s dinner.
But it surely seems the night didn’t begin out like that.
It has emerged that Russell was the final to reach and the opposite drivers, as a approach to defuse the strain, had left him a seat subsequent to Verstappen, collapsing in giggles when he arrived and noticed what they’d completed. Russell promptly moved the seat to the opposite finish of the desk.
It was one other signal that this feud goes to take a while to simmer down. Each drivers had been completely scathing concerning the different in interviews earlier within the day. Russell referred to as Verstappen a “bully”, alleging that the Dutchman had threatened to “put his f—— head within the wall” in Qatar, an allegation his Pink Bull rival denied. Verstappen, in the meantime, labelled Russell a “loser”, saying he had “lied” to the stewards with a purpose to earn the Pink Bull driver a grid penalty in Doha.
“George is a backstabber,” Verstappen mentioned in an interview with Dutch media. “The best way he brings up all this nonsense – he’s only a loser. He lies and cobbles issues collectively that don’t add up. I solely voiced my opinion about his behaviour with the stewards.
“Clearly, he couldn’t deal with that. And his feedback about 2021? [Russell had said that Hamilton was the rightful winner of that race and claimed Verstappen would have been out for then race director Michael Masi’s blood had the race worked out in Hamilton’s favour] That’s how he acted with the stewards, insinuating nonsense.”
The opposite drivers are clearly discovering the spat amusing. In addition to the musical chairs on the dinner, and the Norris Instagram publish, in addition they admitted in interviews within the paddock to getting the popcorn out.
“I hope it doesn’t get smoothed out,” Norris mentioned with a smile on Thursday. “I hope they keep combating and arguing as a result of it’s amusing to observe.
Requested whether or not Verstappen was a bully, the McLaren driver added: “Each different driver has their very own manner of doing issues. However I don’t assume Max tries to intimidate. Max simply says the reality, in his opinion. And I’m fully advantageous with that. Typically I disagree along with his opinion, typically I agree. However that’s advantageous. I respect Max rather a lot and I respect George rather a lot. However I don’t thoughts in the event that they lose respect for each other.”
At the least Russell and Verstappen ended the dinner blissful. Russell thanked Valtteri Bottas, who’s leaving Sauber and presumably Method One on the finish of the season, for footing the invoice, which got here to round £4,000. And Verstappen was blissful too. He introduced in a single day that his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet, the daughter of three-time champion Nelson Piquet, was pregnant with their first little one collectively.
“Mini Verstappen-Piquet on the way in which,” the Dutch driver wrote on Instagram. “We couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.”
Piquet already has a daughter, Penelope, with former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat. Verstappen has steadily spoken about how a lot he enjoys spending time with Penelope and even replied to a Pink Bull message of congratulations on Instagram: “In fact I’m already form of a bonus dad. However I’m nonetheless very excited!”
