George Russell and Max Verstappen shared the podium in Melbourne (Image: Getty)
and faced an awkward question about the state of their relationship after sharing the podium at the on Sunday.
The two drivers fell out during the final two rounds of the 2024 season after Russell made an aggressive campaign to the stewards in an attempt to strip Verstappen of pole position in Qatar.
He was successful in doing so, but his approach infuriated the Dutchman, who publically slammed him. Russell responded in the season finale in Abu Dhabi, accusing the driver of threatening to deliberately crash him out, and labelling him a “bully”.
After finishing second and third in the season-opening Australian GP on Sunday, the duo were asked about the current state of relations. After an awkward silence, Verstappen joked: “It’s still shockingly bad,” before adding: “I mean, it’s all good.” After a long wait, Russell simply noted: “What he said.”
Both drivers would have been more concerned with the performance of rivals on Sunday. After holding off an early charge from Verstappen, race leader and eventual winner opened up a 15-second lead over the Dutchman before a safety car nullified his advantage.
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