George Russell's feelings on Max Verstappen's actions are clear after latest FIA run-in

Max Verstappen went to warfare with the FIA astatine the Singapore Grand Prix aft the F1 stewards handed him a assemblage service-style punishment for swearing successful a property conference

George Russell has backed Max Verstappen successful his enactment with the FIA and stressed the value of "raw emotion" successful Formula 1.

The Brit argues that, portion property conferences request cleanable language, drivers should person escaped rein to explicit themselves arsenic they privation implicit squad radios during races. The Mercedes prima gave his presumption aft drivers swearing became a large talking constituent astatine past month's Singapore Grand Prix.

Ahead of the event, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem made waves with an interrogation slamming foul-mouthed outbursts from drivers broadcasted connected the radio. And erstwhile Max Verstappen swore during Thursday's media briefing, the triple F1 champion was slapped with a assemblage service-style sanction.

That determination lone fanned the flames of discontent, provoking a soundless protestation from the Red Bull racer astatine the post-qualifying property conference. Verstappen gave lone 1 oregon two-word answers to questions and told reporters helium would similar to talk to them extracurricular the room.

Weighing successful connected the situation, Grand Prix Drivers' Association manager Russell defended his chap racers' usage of atrocious connection portion competing. "We decidedly don't privation to instrumentality the earthy emotion distant from the drivers. I deliberation that's cardinal successful our sport," helium said.

The Brit did spell connected to concede, though, that swearing successful a property league distant from the accent of contention is little justifiable, and added: "Maybe, successful a property conference, there's merit successful saying we request to support our words clean. But for sure, connected the radio, you privation to beryllium capable to explicit yourself arsenic you desire."

Russell is the look of the GPDA and volition undoubtedly play a important relation successful behind-the-scenes discussions astir the contented of connection utilized by drivers. That was confirmed by the body's chairman, erstwhile F1 racer Alex Wurz, who said backstage discussions volition beryllium held.

Wurz said: "How galore beingness assemblage services would Guenther Steiner person to service for utilizing the F-word? He was glorified for utilizing the F-word. Netflix broadcasts this worldwide, nary problem. But past to abruptly alteration similar that? [The prime of words] is not my idiosyncratic sensation arsenic a driver.

"As GPDA chairman, I person to officially accidental that we will, of course, sermon it internally, archetypal scope a afloat consensus, and past we volition see whether and successful what signifier we volition speech to the FIA and the president."

Russell's team-mate Lewis Hamilton besides backed Verstappen and was speaking into an FIA microphone arsenic helium advised his aged rival not to comply with his punishment. The seven-time F1 champion said: "I deliberation it's a spot of a joke, to beryllium honest. This is the pinnacle of the sport, mistakes are made. I surely wouldn't beryllium doing [the assemblage service], and I anticipation Max doesn't bash it."