Max Verstappen could not resist taking a cheeky dig at George Russell‘s controversial pole position this past weekend, joking over his team radio about yellow-flag speeding during the Austrian Grand Prix.

In a bizarre end to qualifying on Saturday, Russell was able to keep his pole lap after crossing the line under yellow flags.

Verstappen‘s qualifying came to an abrupt end on Saturday after he suddenly lost the rear of his RB22 at turn 9 and crashed into the barriers.

The Dutchman admitted afterwards he had no idea what triggered the spin, but the mystery was later solved when Red Bull discovered the rear wing had failed to close in time, robbing the car of crucial downforce and leaving him powerless to prevent the slide.

George Russell’s Controversial Pole at Austrian GP

Lisa Leutner via Reuters

Verstappen’s crash handed Russell a narrow window, with the Mercedes driver running right behind the Red Bull on track. Seeing only single yellow flags, the Brit lifted just enough to cross the line for pole position before the double yellows appeared.

His teammate, and championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, also passed the Red Bull under single yellows, but abandoned his flying lap after assuming the double yellows had already been deployed. The FIA reviewed Russell’s pole position before deciding that no further action would be taken.

Verstappen was shocked that the double yellows, which make any ongoing flying lap invalid, did not immediately appear, and could not resist making a tongue-in-cheek remark during Sunday’s race.

Max Verstappen’s Playful Joke About George Russell

Philippe Nanchino via Reuters

During a conversation with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, over the team radio, the four-time world champion made a joking reference to Russell’s controversial pole position after the yellow flags were used during the race.

Lambiase said to Verstappen: “Yellow in turn 10. Double yellow across the start/finish line. Yellow here, and double yellows.”

To which Verstappen responded: “That means flat out, right? Past the car? I’m joking!”

The 28-year-old’s P2 finish in Austria was his strongest result in a season which has so far seen Red Bull struggle, and after taking a disliking to the new regulations, Verstappen has even toyed with the idea of an early departure from F1.

He now sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, 98 points behind the leader Antonelli, while Red Bull lie fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.

When asked about his title chances, Verstappen replied: “Well, I think there are more races left than last year. But it’s a very big gap. I think for us, we have very good pace, but I think to fight for a title race we still have too many issues, if that’s from a start to just procedural issues in the background that even I think you guys don’t know about, but I know about.”

Verstappen heads to the British Grand Prix next, where he has won just once, in 2023, and last season started on pole before finishing P5.

Canada coach Jesse Marsch became the first manager at this summer’s World Cup to win a knockout match, as his side edged South Africa 1-0 thanks to a 92nd-minute strike from former Porto midfielder, Stephen Eustaquio.

It marks a historic moment for Canadian football, with the co-hosts never having previously advanced from the group stage or even won a World Cup match before this summer.

Canada will now face the winner of the Netherlands and Morocco for a place in the quarter-finals, but the build-up to their breakthrough run has been just as eventful as the football itself.

Marsch Refuses to Take the Bait on USA Question

Canada coach Jesse Marsch via REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

A range of Marsch’s comments have come in for criticism from a host of pundits and former players. The 52-year-old was born and raised in the United States and even spent time as an assistant for the USMNT, but has been in charge of Canada since 2024, which is controversial enough in itself.

True to form, Marsch couldn’t resist having some input when asked about the USA’s upcoming round of 32 clash with Bosnia, who they drew 1-1 with in the group stage, despite previously vowing to steer clear of commenting on his home nation and vowing to never manage them.

Given Marsch was passed over for the USA job himself back in 2023, when Gregg Berhalter was reappointed ahead of him, it’s hard not to wonder if there’s a touch of sour grapes behind the comments.

Clint Dempsey Hits Back at Marsch’s National Anthem Claim

Marsch’s comments on the eve of the tournament, revealing he and former USMNT manager Bob Bradley once had to plead with players to sing the national anthem, also continue to draw reaction.

Clint Dempsey wasn’t impressed with Marsch’s words, saying:

Despite the ongoing back-and-forth, Marsch insists he remains “proud to be American,” even if his outspoken style and current role continue to split opinion on both sides of the border.

Lewis Hamilton had a rather blunt response for Max Verstappen after the Dutchman had called for him to be penalised during the Austrian Grand Prix this past weekend.

The Ferrari and Red Bull drivers went wheel-to-wheel on lap 11 of yesterday’s Austrian GP in a battle for second place, before Verstappen opted to back out of the attack, claiming the Brit had made an illegal manoeuvre.

Calls for a penalty from the four-time world champion were waved away by stewards, however, and after the race had finished, Hamilton delivered a rebuttal when questioned by the media post-race.

Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen’s Austrian GP Battle

Two drivers on the grid with 11 Drivers’ Championships between them became locked in battle once again at the Red Bull Ring, for yesterday’s Austrian Grand Prix.

While George Russell began to pull ahead in front, the battle for second ensued, with lap 11 sparking the first major flashpoint.

Verstappen dived past Hamilton into turn 3, but the latter refused to yield, drawing back alongside through the sweepers. The pair then went wheel-to-wheel before the Dutchman ran out of road on the outside line of turn 6, and was forced onto the gravel.

After being forced towards the gravel, the 28-year-old was not impressed by his rival’s antics, exclaiming over the team radio: “That’s a penalty, a clear penalty.”

Verstappen went on to finish in P2, sharing the podium with the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, while Hamilton could only manage fifth, two spots ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc after Ferrari struggled with tyre degradation.

Lewis Hamilton’s Response to Max Verstappen’s Penalty Cry

When asked about his battle with Verstappen after the race, Hamilton told reporters: “It was great. Good fun.

The 41-year-old racing veteran was coming off the back of his first win in Ferrari colours at the Barcelona Grand Prix, which had put him second in the Drivers’ Championship standings. He now sits third, but seems to have rediscovered his mojo, with F1 fans excited to see what he can produce heading into his home race at Silverstone, and whether he could even mount a challenge for world title number eight.

The British driver maintains that the gap to Mercedes is still sizeable, with the Scuderia needing a power upgrade as soon as possible to try to close the gap.

Hamilton said: “We are going to have to push really hard to see when we can get the next power upgrade. We have to look at why and how we can improve that, but it’s not going to come for a while.

“It’s not necessarily power as when you come out of the corner you feel you have the grunt. It’s deployment at the end. Ours tails off. Mercedes, particularly, keep going.”

The British Grand Prix kicks off next week at Silverstone, with a Sprint Race followed by the main race at 15:00 BST on Sunday.