Russell: I'm not going to change my approach fighting Verstappen

Speaking to reporters ahead of the F1 75 LIVE event in London today, Russell revealed he has not spoken to Verstappen over the winter following their feud at the final race of last season in Abu Dhabi.

The pair engaged in a headline-grabbing war of words ahead of the 2024 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, following an incident at the Qatar Grand Prix a week earlier.

At the time, Russell said: “I’ve known Max for 12 years, I’ve respected him all of this time but now I’ve lost respect for him because we’re all fighting on track and it’s never personal."

When asked today if he had buried the hatchet with Verstappen, Russell said: “No, I haven't spoken, no concerns about him or his driving or anything. That happened last year, and I want to focus on myself. Obviously, I felt things got out of line at the end of last year and made it pretty clear that I'm not going to take it.

“But now it's 2025, and I'm focused on the job, and the job is to win. So, I'm not going to change my approach fighting him or fighting any other drivers. The goal is the same, and I guess we'll see when we get to Melbourne," added Russell.

When asked the same question, albeit regarding Russell, Verstappen insisted: “It’s fine… all good.”

Recently, Juan Pablo Montoya offered his perspective on the four-time Formula 1 world champion, who is defending his crown this season while chasing a fifth title.

"Max doesn’t like losing. And Max is a guy who would rather crash than let you beat him," said Montoya.

"We saw it at the end of last year [with George Russell], where he did things that people were shocked by. We were asking ourselves, ‘Why did he do that?’ When he was going against Lewis and taking no prisoners, everybody thought, ‘Oh great. Finally, someone is standing up to Hamilton.’

"Now the positions are reversed. And you look at it, and now when the guy that is winning does something dodgy, they question it. That’s a new thing," reckoned Montoya, a seven-time Grand Prix winner and motorsport veteran.