Max Verstappen has refuted George Russell's claim that he told the Mercedes Formula 1 driver he would put him on his "f***ing head in the wall" after their Qatar Grand Prix stewards' hearing last weekend.
A feud between Russell and Verstappen has emerged at the Abu Dhabi GP season finale in the wake of Verstappen's comments last weekend about Russell's behaviour, which he said amounted to Russell pushing for the one-place grid penalty that cost Verstappen pole position in Qatar, awarded for driving slowly in front of Russell while both were on preparation laps in Q3.
Russell first claimed when speaking to selected media including The Race on Thursday in Abu Dhabi that Verstappen threatened to "purposefully go out of his way to crash into me and, quote, 'Put me on my f***ing head in the wall'" after that hearing.
The war of words was escalated further by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff who, speaking in Russell's general media session later on in the afternoon, made it clear he had taken exception to comments last week from his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner - whom Wolff described as a "yapping little terrier" - about Verstappen's penalty being more the result of Russell being "quite hysterical" than anything else.
Verstappen, who said after he won the Qatar GP that he had "lost all respect" for Russell because of his behaviour in front of the stewards, did not initially wish to reply to Russell's comments.
But speaking later in a Dutch media session, Verstappen interrupted an initial question as Russell's quote was put to him.
"That's already not right," Verstappen contended. "But I think that... [Russell's suggestion is that] Max came into the stewards' room and immediately started cursing and yelling, swearing before I [Russell] had even said a word, which isn't true.
"But I thought, that kind of thing doesn't surprise me."
Asked if he could explain what he had said to Russell, Verstappen replied: "You don't have to say everything that happened there. He tries to exaggerate it."
Verstappen said he'd been "very relaxed" during the stewards' meeting and asked again about Russell's comments, added: "Yes, he's making things up. Yes, [things] that aren’t true."
On whether it would bother him if people believed the way he had been characterised, Verstappen said it was "their problem if they believe that".
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"How I am at home, at the stewards, I'm always the same. You can’t say that about everyone," he added.
Verstappen doubled-down on his Qatar post-race comments in the drivers' press conference before Russell's claim had been put to him, saying he had "no regrets" and might even have been firmer in his wording.
The four-time F1 champion added in his Dutch media session that what had made him most agitated was Russell's attitude on the Qatar GP drivers' parade the following day - an interaction Russell also referenced.
"You know what I also can't stand? How he attacks me in front of the stewards, and then the next day he comes strolling in happily as if nothing is wrong," said Verstappen. "I think, just go away for a bit."
Both drivers have been obstinate on Thursday that they would not seek each other out to discuss their war of words - Russell insisting he is "not changing my mindset" and "not losing any sleep over it whatsoever", and Verstappen saying "we don't need to be best friends".
"Not necessarily," Verstappen said when asked if the relationship needed to improve beyond how it was now.
"If someone treats you like that and in front of the stewards, then I'm done with it."