GEORGE RUSSELL has made an astonishing claim, stating that Max Verstappen threatened to “put his head in the f***ing wall” during the Qatar race.

The intensifying rivalry between the British driver and the Red Bull competitor has sparked a significant controversy just before this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

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The dispute began during the recent race in Qatar when Verstappen received a one-place grid penalty for driving “unnecessarily slowly” and blocking Russell in qualifying.

Even though he secured pole position in his first race as a four-time world champion, Verstappen was forced to start from second place, though he ultimately secured the victory.

Russell commented: “I’ve known Max for a long time and understand what he is capable of. He told me he plans to deliberately crash into me and put my f***ing head in the wall.”

“I recognized it was a heated moment, but when I approached him the following day during the driver’s parade, I could see in his eyes that he meant what he said.”

“He is a four-time world champion, and when I compare his actions to those of Lewis Hamilton, it’s clear that Lewis embodies the kind of champion I hope to emulate. He fiercely competed against Max in 2021 but always did so fairly and stayed within the rules.”

“I have an eight-year-old nephew who recently started go-karting and watches all my races.”

“For a world champion to claim he’s going to intentionally crash into someone and put their head in the wall is not the type of role model we need.”

This season, Verstappen has been involved in several confrontations, including an incident in Budapest in July where he collided with Hamilton and had a heated exchange with his team over the radio.

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Russell added: “As soon as he is not in the fastest car, like in Budapest for example, he crashes into Lewis, criticizes his entire team, and loses control.”

“Right after that race, 25% of his engineering team started sending their CVs to Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin because they felt they couldn’t manage someone like him.”

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“Lewis faced him down in 2021, and Lewis lost that championship unfairly. If the roles were reversed, just think about how Michael [Masi] would feel.”

Verstappen has doubled down on his attacks against the Mercedes driver, branding him a “backstabber” and a “loser.”

The Dutch racer further accused Mercedes of “lying” to influence the stewards’ decision against him.

Verstappen remarked: “No [I don’t have regrets]. I meant every word. I’ve never experienced such treatment from the stewards.”

“I found his behavior completely unacceptable.”

“It has nothing to do with him being the head of the drivers’ association [Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, where Russell is a director]. He clearly lied about what he was doing and undoubtedly influenced the stewards.”

“He’s a backstabber. It’s a waste of time to discuss individuals like that, as they are simply losers.”

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff interrupted Russell’s press briefing to insult Christian Horner, calling him a “yapping little terrier” after the Red Bull team principal belittled the Brit as being “hysterical.”

SunSport has contacted the FIA for a statement regarding Russell’s allegations, but as of now, there has been no response.

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