Lando Norris Exposes Verstappen and Russell’s Heated Feud at $4,000 Dinner Party

Alex Harrington | Dec 6, 2024

Nov 20, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; McLaren driver Lando Norris (4) during media availabilities at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The tension within the Formula 1 world has reached new heights with Lando Norris further exposing a growing feud between Max Verstappen and George Russell at a recent dinner worth $4,000. This traditional annual dinner, organized by Lewis Hamilton and held for F1 drivers, has been a staple in celebrating the season's end.

The dinner saw most of the leading F1 drivers in attendance, though Fernando Alonso and Kevin Magnussen weren't able to make it. As the dinner unfolded, Lando Norris took to Instagram to share a snapshot of the evening, not merely to capture the moment but to point out the awkward relationship between Russell and Verstappen.

Norris humorously captioned the group photo: "2024 dinner! and yes, the two you're thinking about were sat as far away from each other as possible."

Lando Norris - Instagram

In a surprising show of generosity, Valtteri Bottas, now departing Sauber, covered the costs of the dinner, which amounted to over £4,000.

The friction between Max Verstappen, the now-four-time Formula 1 World Champion, and George Russell of Mercedes fame reached an unprecedented level post the Qatar Grand Prix. The friction sharpened when Russell raised concerns over Verstappen's on-track behavior, which consequently led to a grid penalty for Verstappen. The penalty reduced Verstappen from pole position, which Russell capitalized on.

Russell publicly voiced his stance, defending his actions and challenging Verstappen's aggressive approach.

"I don't know why he felt the need for this personal attack and I'm not going to take it. This is me just setting the record straight, I am not going to stand here and let someone slam me personally," Russell stated firmly. The exchange did not simmer down in the days following the Grand Prix.

"I knew that was a spur of the moment thing, but the next day, we were joking around a bit with [Sergio] Perez and Carlos [Sainz], I saw it in his eyes that he meant it," Russell said.

Verstappen did not shy away from retaliating in front of media: "George is a backstabber. The way he brings up all this nonsense - he’s just a loser. He lies and cobbles things together that don’t add up. I only voiced my opinion about his behaviour with the stewards,” Verstappen asserted.

Russell took the opportunity to admire Hamilton's conduct, asserting that Hamilton exemplifies the standard of fairness he aims to achieve. "He's a four-time champion. Lewis [Hamilton] is the champion I aspire to be—hard but fair; never beyond the line. We have a duty as drivers," Russell noted.

For Russell, actions speak louder than words when he reflects on the moral duties of a world champion. "For a world champion to come out and say he is going to go out of his way to crash into someone and put him on his head, that is not the example we should be setting," he ended.