Jenson Button wades into F1 row with 'shocking' claim about Max Verstappen and George Russell dispute

Ex-Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button has given his views on the feud between Max Verstappen and George Russell.

During last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, newly-crowned four-time F1 world champion Verstappen was left seething after being given a one-place grid penalty for driving too slowly.

The Dutchman's penalty came after complaints made by Mercedes star Russell during qualifying.

After the race, which Verstappen won on Sunday, the Red Bull driver slammed Russell for the role he played in the stewards' decision to hand the Dutchman a penalty.

He said: "You know what it is? He [Russell] always acts very nice here in front of the cameras, but when you are in there [in the stewards’ room] he is just a completely different person.

"I can’t stand that. Then it’s better to just f*** off, because I don’t have to deal with it. It was honestly very disappointing, because I think all of us here, we respect each other a lot. I’ve been in that meeting room many times in my life and in my career with people that I’ve raced. And I’ve never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. For me, I lost all respect.

"I just thought it was ridiculous how he tried to force a penalty on me and I was heavily p****d at him for that."

George Russell and Max Verstappen at the Qatar Grand Prix. Image: Getty

Speaking on Sky Sports, former F1 driver Button, who won the world title in 2009, has given his views on the incident.

He said: "The problem for me is that he’s [Verstappen] got Fernando Alonso in front of him doing exactly the same speed.

"It’s not like Max has just gone, ‘you know what? I’m going to put the anchors on and hit the brakes right in the middle of a high-speed corner’."

Button added: "He’s got the same distance to the car in front the whole way through Turn 12, 13. It’s shocking to me that he got a penalty, it really is. It felt like it should have been the same as everyone else. We had it in sprint qualifying as well."

F1 will return this weekend with the last race of the 2024 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the race taking place around the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday afternoon.