The 2024 F1 season is nearly over, with just one race to go. Max Verstappen won the championship, while Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are still battling for second place. Even the constructor’s championship is still an ongoing battle. However, with only one race left in the season, you’d think that the sport would be drama-free. However, this is not the case, as multiple things happened at the Qatar Grand Prix! Keep on reading to discover everything about it.
Max Verstappen speaks out about George Russell!
Max Verstappen and George Russell got into some drama after the Qatar Grand Prix qualification. Three drivers, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, and Geroge Russell, were all driving a “slow lap” in preparation for their qualifying lap attempts. Verstappen was driving behind Fernando Alonso and had to slow down because Alonso also slowed down. George Russell, who was driving behind Max Verstappen, didn’t slow down at all and had to perform an evasive maneuver.
Russell then immediately complained on the radio about Max Verstappen’s dangerous driving. Later, both drivers were called to the stewards to discuss what happened. Max Verstappen ended up with a 1-place grid penalty, giving Russell Pole position. This was the first time an F1 driver got a one-place penalty for the “rule” they broke. The official FIA rapport stated that George Russell could see Max Verstappen the whole time before he braked. This means that George could have reacted to the slowing of the other two drivers earlier than he did.
After the meeting with the Stewards, Max Went on to speak his mind about George Russell. Verstappen mentioned multiple times that he had never seen another driver push so hard for a penalty for their opponent. He also mentioned that he couldn’t stand George being super polite in front of the cameras while being so mean behind closed doors. In that same interview, Max tells the journalists that he lost all respect for George Russell as an F1 driver.
Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon are getting out of their F1 seat!
The Verstappen-Russell drama is not all that happened last week. Rumors have been leaked that Sergio Perez is being taken out of the racing seat for Red Bull next year. After poor performance after poor performance, the Red Bull F1 team can’t afford to keep him in a chair. He will get an ambassador role to promote the team and do PR events, but he can leave the team if he wants to. Christian Horner said that the team would support Sergio until after the last race but that he would have to make his own decisions after that.
At least Sergio Perez is getting a final F1 race this weekend. This is not a privilege given to all drivers. After the Grand Prix in Qatar, Alpine F1 confirmed that Esteban Ocon would not race in the season’s last race. Jack Doohan will take over the drive, while Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz will take the second seat next season. Even though the decision isn’t a surprise, fans are confused as to why Ocon can’t compete during the season’s last race.
