Norris after dinner: 'Verstappen and Russell sat as far apart as possible'
Red Bull Contentpool
F1 News
What had been brewing since their incident during Qatar Qualifying finally exploded in Abu Dhabi: the issues between Max Verstappen and George Russell arrived at the Yas Marina Circuit's paddock with tension that seemed to seep in even at the driver's dinner yesterday evening, as Lando Norris seemed to notice.
At the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton hosted a dinner for all the drivers. Many are set to leave the grid or join other teams next year, and Hamilton himself is switching from Mercedes to Ferrari after this season. The dinner seemed to have all the perfect ingredients for a nostalgic and wholesome occasion.
However, earlier in the day, during the media day and the FIA Driver's Press Conference, the matter between Verstappen and Russell reached all-time heights, with even Toto Wolff having a dig at Red Bull Racing's team boss, Christian Horner. So, it is easy to imagine that tension between both drivers was also perceived at the end-of-season dinner.
'Verstappen and Russell sat as far apart as possible'
Lando Norris said yesterday that he rather enjoyed the pair's squabbling, and so he had a little fun of his own when he posted images of the event on his Instagram: "2024 dinner! And yes, the two you're thinking of were sitting as far apart as possible". Verstappen then joined in, as he replied with an emoji of a steak. Could this be referring to the meal they had or to the beef the Dutchman has with Russell?
Esteban Ocon also shared footage of the dinner. Indeed, his post showed Verstappen and Russell sitting far apart. Check out the posts below!
This article was written with the assistance of Cas van de Kleut.
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