Emerson Fittipaldi says the recent drama between George Russell and Max Verstappen is “what we need in motorsport.”
The pair traded verbal punches in the press in the build-up to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Russell accusing Versappen of threatening to “put you on your f****** head in the wall” following an exchange in the stewards’ room at the Qatar Grand Prix, and Verstappen responding by branding Russell a “backstabber.”
While the controversy diverted attention away from the track, two-time Formula 1 world champion and double Indy 500 winner Fittipaldi reacted positively to it, and expressed his desire to see more drivers show their personality in a similar way.
“I like it a lot, because it shows the personality of each athlete,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what sport you do, the public want to see who’s behind.
“It’s great to see this. I like it, and I think you should have less PR people around the drivers and more right foot. When the flags drop, the bull**** stops. That’s it. That’s what we need in motorsport.”
Fittipaldi was also pleased by the addition of newly crowned Formula 2 champion and fellow Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto to the 2025 driving line-up for Kick Sauber, which will become Audi’s factory F1 team in 2026. The 20-year-old Bortoleto will be the first F1 driver from the country since Felipe Massa last competed in 2017.
“The last few years only had one Latin America driver, Checo Perez; we were very disappointed in Latin America,” Fittipaldi said. “But I’m telling all the European drivers, be watching, because there’s young Brazilians coming along, taking many good places. We need our space back again.”
While there have been rumors that Audi’s F1 project may be behind schedule, Fittipaldi said that its previous motorsport successes — including triumphs in the 1936 and 1939 European Grand Prix championships when it was known as Auto Union — show it should not be underestimated.
“They know how to go racing,” he said. “With the history of the Germans — Auto Union before the war, now Audi — Audi going back to Formula 1 is going to be incredible. They’re going to be strong.”
