Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen was caught taking his frustrations out on George Russell during on-track proceedings at theĀ Austrian Grand Prix.
F1 returned to the Red Bull Ring for theĀ eighth round of the 2026 campaignĀ this weekend, the home track of the energy drink giants.
But there isn’t much to celebrate after a difficult start to the new regulations era for Verstappen and his team.
Ahead of the race inĀ the Styrian mountains, the 28-year-old sits way down in seventh in the drivers’ standings, with Red Bull also far off the frontrunners.
Mercedes lead the constructors’ championship by 72 pointsĀ after making it clear they are the ones to beat this season, whilst Red Bull are sat in P4 with just 89 points to their name.
Rumours are swirling overĀ the Dutchman’s future and his contract clauseĀ which is rumoured to be activated by the summer break should he find himself out of the top two in the drivers’ standings.
Red Bull have brought major upgrades to their home raceĀ in the hope of convincing him to stay, but so far in Austria they have done little to suggest they will help Verstappen take the fight to Mercedes.
Verstappen flips off Russell at Austrian GP
Verstappen grew increasingly frustrated with his ‘upgraded’ Red Bull machinery during the first sessions of the Austrian GP weekend.
On Friday, the four-time champion managed toĀ beat former rival Lewis Hamilton in both FP1 and FP2, yet it was a Mercedes car that still managed to go fastest in both hours of practice.
Verstappen reported issues with his clutch during FP1 and raised concerns over team radio of a rapid decline in engine speed throughout FP2 among other problems.
Still, that didn’t stop Verstappen from racing Russell at one point despite the fact that neither of Friday’s sessions were of a competitive nature.
In a clip which has now been posted on social media, the Red Bull star even appeared to flip off Russell,Ā putting up his middle finger as he overtookĀ the Mercedes star following a battle that was a little too close for comfort.
Verstappen and Russell have a history of fierce rivalry both on and off the track, with the competitive nature between the pair reaching a dramatic climax at the end of the 2024 season, even spilling over into 2025.
At the 2024 Qatar GP, Russell claimed Verstappen said he would put him ‘in the f***ing wall’ something the champion denied when speaking to Dutch media at the time.
Following their public fallout, Russell lashed out in the British press, inĀ a now infamous speechĀ where the Brit claimed: “Whenever anything is not going his way, he lashes out with unnecessary anger and borderline violence.”
