Max Verstappen is the ‘bad guy’ Formula 1 needs and could engage in a classic title battle in F1 2025 with ‘schemer’ George Russell.

That’s according to former F1 driver Marc Surer, who also sees a place for “good guy” Lando Norris in the battle for the crown next season.

F1 needs ‘bad guy’ Max Verstappen

Verstappen won his fourth consecutive F1 2024 title, seeing off Norris’ challenge in the McLaren, although Russell has his sights set on challenging for World Championship glory next season.

But it didn’t take until then for things to get spicy between Verstappen and Russell.

The Abu Dhabi GP race weekend began with a vicious war of words between the two men, stemming from a qualifying incident in Qatar that cost Verstappen pole as he accused Russell of “lying » to get a penalty – which came in the form of a one-time penalty. place on the grid – adding that he had “lost all respect” for the Briton, who said Verstappen had threatened to deliberately crash into him and “drive my head into the wall”.

“There has to be a bad guy in Formula 1. There has always been one. And now we have another one,” was Surer’s verdict on Verstappen as he spoke to Formel1.de.

Russell was not the first to face Verstappen in F1 2024, with the Dutchman having run into trouble with Norris, the FIA ​​and the “biased British” media.

And looking ahead to next season, Surer believes Formula 1 has the perfect three characters for an exciting title battle.

“Of course it comes to a head,” Surer said of Verstappen versus Russell, “and if they raced for the world championship that would be great.

“We have Lando Norris as the good guy, Russell as maybe the schemer, and then Max Verstappen, who goes over the target sometimes. So I think it’s great.

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Russell swapped Williams for Mercedes in time for the 2022 campaign, but is yet to experience being part of a title fight with the Mercedes team that won eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021 , with seven drivers’ titles also won in this record. breaking race.

However, he is targeting Verstappen for F1 2025 and believes he is up to the task.

“I’ve been in F1 for six years now, next year will be my seventh and fourth year with the team,” Russell said. The times.

“I absolutely feel ready to take it to the next level and I feel ready to challenge for a championship.

“I feel ready to fight Max and if we get the chance, I’m not going to waste it.

“I’ve felt like I’ve been ready for three years. I’m teammates with the greatest driver of all time and if you ever finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton or beat him in a championship, you know that probably in 12 other seasons that would have been enough to win, or at least fight for one world championship.

Russell will have a new teammate for F1 2025, with Lewis Hamilton heading to Ferrari while Andrea Kimi Antonelli takes over at Mercedes.

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