revealed the awkward second opted to not sit subsequent to on the season-ending drivers’ dinner in .
Verstappen and Russell had earlier, on media day on the Yas Marina Circuit, amid a fractious finish to the 2024 season between Purple Bull and Mercedes.
But later that night, the 20-driver grid assembled for the standard end-of-season dinner and Lawson – who has simply for 2025 – divulged the awkward trade between the pair because the seating plan took form.
“It’s loopy what number of messages I’ve had about this [drivers dinner], individuals are actually curious,” Lawson advised the Pit Cease podcast.
“That is f****** humorous. It’s actually humorous. We rock up, at this massive desk. Because the desk was filling up, that aspect of the desk was just about full.
“And reverse me was Max after which three chairs to the left [of him]. George hadn’t turned up at this level.
“All of us stated ‘we’re going to save lots of the spot for George proper subsequent to Max.’ George arrives and Max stated ‘mate, we’ve saved a seat for you.’
“And George simply picks up the chair and walks to the opposite finish of the desk and sits with Lewis at that finish of the desk.”
“We thought it could be humorous. It wasn’t humorous… it was humorous for us!”
The row between Russell and Verstappen began on the penultimate race of the season in Qatar after a row within the stewards’ room.
It then carried over to Abu Dhabi, when Russell revealed that Verstappen had threatened to place “his head within the f****** wall” whereas the Dutchman insisted the Brit had “lied” and labelled him a “loser.”
Verstappen, who claimed his fourth successive world championship in 2024, completed 192 factors forward of Russell in sixth within the .
