Max Verstappen has "lost all respect" for George Russell after the Mercedes driver's role in demoting the four-time world champion from pole position at the Qatar Grand Prix. (More Motorsports News)

Russell was promoted to pole, but it was Verstappen who crossed the finish line first, joined by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Oscar Piastri on the podium.

Verstappen was slapped with a rare one-place grid penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding Russell in qualifying, although the stewards, after a hearing attended by both drivers, said there were mitigating circumstances as neither driver was on a flying lap. 

"I was quite surprised, when sitting there in the stewards' room, what was all going on," Verstappen told Sky Sports after winning Sunday's race. 

"It was honestly very disappointing, because I think all of us here, we respect each other a lot.

"I've been in that meeting room many times in my life and my career with people that I've raced. And I've never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. For me, I lost all respect.

"I couldn't believe that I got [the penalty]. But in a way, I was also not surprised anymore in the world that I live in.

"I'm not happy with it, but at one point or another you have to just turn the page.

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"It wasn't very enjoyable to see that happen because I think that's the first time that in a slow lap someone has been penalised. 

"Actually, I just tried to be nice, so maybe I shouldn't be nice. I didn't want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap. And by doing that, being nice, basically you get a penalty."

Another milestone masteredMax’s win in Qatar takes him over 3000 career points@snapper_thommo #F1 wolf gold slot