Emerson Fittipaldi says the current drama between George Russell and Max Verstappen is “what we’d like in motorsport.”
The pair traded verbal punches within the press within the build-up to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Russell accusing Versappen of threatening to “put you in your f****** head within the wall” following an trade within the stewards’ room on the Qatar Grand Prix, and Verstappen responding by branding Russell a “backstabber.”
Whereas the controversy diverted consideration away from the observe, two-time Formulation 1 world champion and double Indy 500 winner Fittipaldi reacted positively to it, and expressed his need to see extra drivers present their persona in an identical means.
“I prefer it so much, as a result of it reveals the persona of every athlete,” he stated. “It doesn’t matter what sport you do, the general public wish to see who’s behind.
“It’s nice to see this. I prefer it, and I feel it is best to have much less PR folks across the drivers and extra proper foot. When the flags drop, the bull**** stops. That’s it. That’s what we’d like in motorsport.”
Fittipaldi was additionally happy by the addition of newly topped Formulation 2 champion and fellow Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto to the 2025 driving line-up for Kick Sauber, which is able to turn into Audi’s manufacturing facility F1 crew in 2026. The 20-year-old Bortoleto would be the first F1 driver from the nation since Felipe Massa final competed in 2017.
“The previous couple of years solely had one Latin America driver, Checo Perez; we had been very disillusioned in Latin America,” Fittipaldi stated. “However I’m telling all of the European drivers, be watching, as a result of there’s younger Brazilians coming alongside, taking many good locations. We want our area again once more.”
Whereas there have been rumors that Audi’s F1 venture could also be not on time, Fittipaldi stated that its earlier motorsport successes — together with triumphs within the 1936 and 1939 European Grand Prix championships when it was often called Auto Union — present it shouldn’t be underestimated.
“They know how you can go racing,” he stated. “With the historical past of the Germans — Auto Union earlier than the conflict, now Audi — Audi going again to Formulation 1 goes to be unimaginable. They’re going to be robust.”
