George Russell Heats Max Verstappen Ahead Of The Australian GP F1 Next Week

JAKARTA - Ahead of the opening race of the Australian GP F1, Mercedes racer George Russell is increasingly heating up the war of nerves against Red Bull racer Oracle Max Verstappen.

"I will not remain silent when disturbed. People seem to be (Max Verstappen) always avoiding, but that's not how I work. I'm not here to make good friends with a world champion," George Russell was quoted as saying by Motorsport on Sunday.

The feud between the two racers has occurred since last season which caused both of them to have a cold war and made comments against each other less like each other.

The height of the feud took place at the launch of F175 Live in London, February, when Max received unpleasant treatment from the majority of England supporters who were Russelll's supporters.

The 27-year-old racer admitted that he was not afraid and ready to compete with Verstappen, who won four consecutive seasons.

"I'm here to win and it's also his mentality. No love is lost between us. I've never been afraid to race against Max. I've always struggled," said Russelll.

Armed with promising pre-season test results, Russell is confident that he will be able to compete for the world title this season.

Last season, Russelll started showing consistent performance by winning two grand prixes.

Russelll is currently also the most senior racer at Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton left for Ferrari.

With this status, of course, the British racer carries a heavy burden to bring the German factory team to compete in the construction team's championship ladder.

F1 of the Australian GP is scheduled to take place from March 14 to 16.