Formula 1: Mercedes’ George Russell Blasts Red Bull, Calls Out Austrian Team Chief

• Red Bull recently fired Dutch driver Nyck de Vries
• The Formula E champion was sacked only ten races into the 2023 season
• George Russell has not held back his displeasure with Red Bull's decision

Red Bull Racing's sacking of Dutch driver Nyck de Vries has not gone down well with a host of individuals.

The relieving of the former Formula E champion of his duties at Red Bull’s B team AlphaTauri has caused many reactions, and the latest to react is Mercedes driver George Russell.

Russell, who recently spoke to RacingNews365, called out the harsh treatment meted out to de Vries by Red Bull’s chief Helmut Marko.

Russell on De Vries sacking

The British driver was unhappy with the sacking of his former Mercedes teammate and didn’t hold back his thoughts on Marko’s decision to cut the 28-year-old's Formula 1 career short.

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"I wouldn't have expected it in any other team. Obviously, we know how Red Bull operates, and you need to respect how they do things."

Russell also spoke about how Marko roles played a pivotal role in De Vries' sack:

"I mean, I didn't follow Nyck closely during his time at AlphaTauri, but I saw the reports and things that Helmut said and it is a difficult place to go if you're lacking confidence."

"For sure, they didn't help him to gain confidence, starting the season by saying he's going to be the leader of the team for he is a rookie."

Russell further highlighted that De Vries, as an F1 rookie, deserved a fair chance at the Austrian team:

"It doesn't matter that he is 27 or 28 years old, he is a Formula 1 rookie, and you can't go in telling the rookie that you are the leader of the team just because you've raced in more championships than your teammate.

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"He was in a difficult position from when he started so I do feel bad for him. He is Formula 1 level but didn't get the opportunity that he deserved."

The former Formula 2 champion was eventually replaced by Daniel Ricciardo, and will take pride in Russell backing his abilities. However, Motorsportsweek reports that the driver has his sights set on returning to school.

Verstappen reveals his dream teammate

In a previous report, Sports Brief stated that Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen identified his dream teammate.

The Formula champion, who has again dominated the F1 grid this season, provided a rather hilarious answer to the question of who his ideal teammate would be.

Verstappen, despite being teammates with Sergio Perez, told Sky Sports:

"For me personally, dream team, if I could choose and could bring people back to their normal racing age, it would be my dad."