Russell bounces back: 'That was a risk Verstappen took himself'

"I thought he was coming over to shake my hand to thank me for a nice fight, but he was obviously a bit angrier than I expected. For my part, I was on the inside, I was ahead at the apex, and I was really surprised that he was trying to hold his position," Russell explained to Viaplay.

Lewis Hamilton's teammate, on the other hand, puts the blame more on the Dutchman. "It's a sprint race, on a street circuit, on cold tyres. He knows the risks in that position. There was no intention to seek contact, but he put me in a difficult position. In the end, it was a big risk for both of us, and it was clear that he made contact with the wall. That's really all there is to say about it."

Russell points at Verstappen

Russell continued, "I started racing when I was eight years old, and in karting, if you're on the inside at the apex, it's your corner.
And that's the basic principle of racing, you know. Max is incredibly experienced, he's an incredibly good racer, and he has a great car. He knows this, and when you try to overtake him on the outside, you take a risk [...] He was lucky he didn't get a puncture. I tried to give him as much space as possible, but you know, at a start like this, it's a challenge, so... There's not much more to say."

What Russell said in talking to Verstappen immediately afterwards? "I can't even remember, to be honest. I think I said we had cold tyres, I was on the inside, and he said we all had cold tyres. But, like I said, that was a risk he took. I was just quite surprised that he tried to hold the position, but I have to watch it again. Maybe my opinion will change once I see it. "

Finally, "Nothing deliberate, but you know, I'm here to fight, I'm here to win. And I won't let him pass just because he is Max Verstappen," said a firm Russell.