Russell told ‘have a look at yourself’ as Verstappen incident angers Red Bull figure

Questioning George Russell’s antics in Canada, Red Bull simulator driver Rudy van Buren says the Mercedes driver needs to take a look at himself.

Following their Spanish Grand Prix collision, in which Max Verstappen accelerated and hit Russell in a move that earned the Red Bull driver three penalty points, Russell raised eyebrows in the Red Bull camp with his actions at the next race in Canada.

Red Bull sim driver: But I find that kind of practice…

The Briton was leading the Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen when the Safety Car came out late in the race after Lando Norris clipped Oscar Piastri and crashed into the pit wall.

Russell, seemingly trying to get heat into his tyres behind the Safety Car, hits the brakes hard and Verstappen, caught unaware, went sailing past him.

The Mercedes driver jumped on the team radio to state that the Dutchman had overtaken him, which is not permitted under Safety Car conditions.

The stewards opted not to take any action against the reigning World Champion but could have issued a time penalty, which would’ve cost Verstappen positions in the race and points in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

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Stewards could also have given him penalty points on his Super Licence. As Verstappen is already sitting on 11, that would’ve meant an automatic one-race ban.

Van Buren wasn’t impressed with Russell actions.

Told by RacingNews365 that he may have been prickled if someone had done that to him, the Red Bull simulator driver replied: “I said the same thing on television, when asked what I thought about it.

“Well, because the camera is on, I was slightly irritated. And behind the scenes, a bit more.

“But I find that kind of practice… If you need that to take points away from people, you should just look at yourself. And win it on the track.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner called out Russell for what he claimed was the Mercedes driver’s “objective” and Red Bull launched a protest under Article 55.5 of the Sporting Regulations. That relates to ‘unsporting behaviour by way of displaying ‘unsportsmanlike intent’.’

The FIA stewards rejected the protest as being without foundation.

Russell held onto the victory, his first of the season, and closed the gap in the standings to 19 points to Verstappen in the fight for third place behind the McLaren team-mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Van Buren continued: “That’s exactly why. He was good too, wasn’t he?

“Do you have to do things like that when you’re actually just running a top race? Where basically everyone should say hats off?

“Because from A to Z, every hit was hit, he saved tyres at the right time and he was able to widen the gap again when he had to. Your team-mate gets third and then you get this.”

Van Buren wasn’t alone in condemning Russell’s actions in Montreal as former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher called it a ‘near foul’.

“George clearly showed Max with his braking move behind the Safety Car, ‘Hey, I know the rules too and I can do it too’,” the six-time race winner told Sky Deutschland. “But he wasn’t far from a foul.

“Even Verstappen wouldn’t do something like that, he would do it a bit more gallantly.

“But he clearly showed Max that he is someone who wants to win with all his might and that he is willing to use any means to do so.”