Eddie Jordan urges George Russell and Max Verstappen to end tensions, calling for a handshake and reconciliation in Formula 1.
Eddie Jordan believes efforts should be made to reconcile George Russell and Max Verstappen. The former F1 team boss regrets that the British driver declined to lighten the mood, even though the reigning champion expressed confidence they could calm down over the winter.
“The drivers had dinner and decided to play a little prank on George because they knew he’d be late,” Jordan said on his Formula for Success podcast. “They took their seats, leaving an empty one next to Max, and when George arrived, he realized he’d been set up.”
“But not wanting to joke around, he found it embarrassing. It was a perfect chance to sit with Max and say, ‘This has gone too far,’ but instead, he grabbed the chair, walked around the table, and sat next to Lewis.”
“I think it was a missed opportunity. I’d reach out to George and Max and say, ‘For heaven’s sake, we don’t need this. Shake hands, have a pint together, laugh it off, and move on.’”
Jordan doesn’t understand why a driver would speak in place of the team representative: “Here’s my view: when I go into a stewards’ room, I lie through my teeth hoping they believe me or that I’ve got reasonably solid evidence—which I rarely do—and I bluff every way I can.”
“I’d expect a driver to stay quiet. It’s not their business. He’s the driver, and while it might seem like he doesn’t matter, he’s there as a witness. I don’t know why George felt the need to change that, because it’s the team principal’s role, but clearly, he felt compelled to speak.”
“I’m not taking sides because I’m sure Max said he’d put George in the wall, but thinking back to my Formula 3 days, how many people told us the same? I said it to hundreds of people. It’s just common language between race drivers—they need to know you’re not kidding.”
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Russell vs Verstappen: Eddie Jordan Calls for a Truce Russell vs Verstappen: Eddie Jordan Calls for a Truce
Russell vs Verstappen: Eddie Jordan Calls for a Truce Russell vs Verstappen: Eddie Jordan Calls for a Truce
