‘He’s been villainised’ – Former Red Bull driver backs Max Verstappen and queries ‘calculated’ George Russell
A former Red Bull Junior driver has leapt to the defence of Max Verstappen as his explosive feud with Mercedes rival, George Russell, ramps up. A war of words has erupted between the two after an incident at the Qatar Grand Prix. AFPVerstappen’s war of words with Russell has whipped up a storm ahead of the F1 finale in Abu Dhabi[/caption] Verstappen branded the Brit a ‘backstabber’ and a ‘loser’ in response to accusations of being a ‘bully’ from the Brit. Russell also revealed that the Dutchman made a ‘violent and aggressive’ threat to ‘Put me on my f***ing head in the wall’. This was then followed by the pair awkwardly having to attend the traditional ‘last supper’ where all the F1 drivers get together to celebrate the end of the season. But despite the claims, Formula E challenger Dan Ticktum, who spent two years in the same academy in which Verstappen made his name, told talkSPORT: “I’m team Max, no matter what!” Ticktum admitted that preparations for his own Formula E race weekend in Sao Paulo meant he wasn’t completely up-to-date with the falling-out. However, he generalised his thoughts on Russell, describing him as ‘very calculated’ and a ‘plays-the-game kind of guy, most of the time’. His staunch defence of the 2024 World Champion Verstappen continued. “I think he’s definitely been villainised by the media quite a lot because he’s outspoken,” the Cupra Kiro driver added. “I’ve had a similar fate, although on a much smaller level.” Ticktum has gained a reputation for being unafraid to speak his mind with heat-of-the-moment rants on team radio while competing in the all-electric Formula E championship. An explosive radio rant at the 2023 Jakarta E-Prix went viral, despite an impressive drive in Indonesia. GettyTicktum labelled Russell ‘calculated’[/caption] He added: “I think I kept a lid on things quite well over the last year – obviously the year before was my infamous taxi TikTok scandal. Last year I was actually told off for being too quiet.” The British driver is clearly keen to let his driving do the talking and genuinely seems more focused than ever after signing a new contract with the recently rebranded Cupra Kiro Formula E team. They will also benefit from a new powertrain partnership with Porsche going forward. He continued: “I’ve acted motivated over the last two years and now I actually AM very motivated. I think I’m going to be in a position now to show what I’m capable of.” But what does he make of his chances this year? Ticktum added: “I think after the first two races we’ll really know where we are. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Formula E (@fiaformulae) “A few podiums would be nice – if I could be in the top five that would be incredible! I think that’s a push, but top eight is feasible” Dan Ticktum spoke to talkSPORT ahead of his fourth campaign in the all-electric Formula E World Championship, which begins on Saturday, December 7 in Sao Paulo, Brazil – with live commentary from 5pm on talkSPORT2.
A former Red Bull Junior driver has leapt to the defence of Max Verstappen as his explosive feud with Mercedes rival, George Russell, ramps up.
A war of words has erupted between the two after an incident at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Verstappen branded the Brit a ‘backstabber’ and a ‘loser’ in response to accusations of being a ‘bully’ from the Brit.
Russell also revealed that the Dutchman made a ‘violent and aggressive’ threat to ‘Put me on my f***ing head in the wall’.
This was then followed by the pair awkwardly having to attend the traditional ‘last supper’ where all the F1 drivers get together to celebrate the end of the season.
But despite the claims, Formula E challenger Dan Ticktum, who spent two years in the same academy in which Verstappen made his name, told talkSPORT: “I’m team Max, no matter what!”
Ticktum admitted that preparations for his own Formula E race weekend in Sao Paulo meant he wasn’t completely up-to-date with the falling-out.
However, he generalised his thoughts on Russell, describing him as ‘very calculated’ and a ‘plays-the-game kind of guy, most of the time’.
His staunch defence of the 2024 World Champion Verstappen continued.
“I think he’s definitely been villainised by the media quite a lot because he’s outspoken,” the Cupra Kiro driver added. “I’ve had a similar fate, although on a much smaller level.”
Ticktum has gained a reputation for being unafraid to speak his mind with heat-of-the-moment rants on team radio while competing in the all-electric Formula E championship.
An explosive radio rant at the 2023 Jakarta E-Prix went viral, despite an impressive drive in Indonesia.
He added: “I think I kept a lid on things quite well over the last year – obviously the year before was my infamous taxi TikTok scandal. Last year I was actually told off for being too quiet.”
The British driver is clearly keen to let his driving do the talking and genuinely seems more focused than ever after signing a new contract with the recently rebranded Cupra Kiro Formula E team.
They will also benefit from a new powertrain partnership with Porsche going forward.
He continued: “I’ve acted motivated over the last two years and now I actually AM very motivated. I think I’m going to be in a position now to show what I’m capable of.”
But what does he make of his chances this year?
Ticktum added: “I think after the first two races we’ll really know where we are.
“A few podiums would be nice – if I could be in the top five that would be incredible! I think that’s a push, but top eight is feasible”
Dan Ticktum spoke to talkSPORT ahead of his fourth campaign in the all-electric Formula E World Championship, which begins on Saturday, December 7 in Sao Paulo, Brazil – with live commentary from 5pm on talkSPORT2.
