A heated argument has broken out in Formula 1 after a qualifying incident at the Qatar Grand Prix involving Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

However, the situation has sparked not only tension between the drivers but also a clash between their team bosses, Toto Wolff and Christian Horner.  

The trouble began when Verstappen was given a one-place grid penalty for driving too slowly and blocking Russell during qualifying. While the Dutchman went on to win the race, he later said he had “lost all respect” for Russell.

Adding more drama to the situation Red Bull team principal Christian Horner joined in by calling Russell’s actions “hysterical.”

During the media day in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen accused Russell of lying to the stewards to get him penalized. The Briton fired back, saying that the Red Bull driver thinks he’s “above the law” and accusing the Red Bull driver of threatening to crash into him during the Qatar Race as well as bullying drivers.

Toto Wolff, usually calm in such situations, took Russell’s side and criticized Horner for his comments. Wolff even called Horner a “yapping little terrier” and blamed him for how Verstappen has been acting. 

"As a team principal, it is important to be a sparring partner and for your drivers, that means explaining things that can be more nuanced and statements that are absolutistic in thinking that everything is either 100% right or 100% wrong," he said quoted by RacingNews365. 

"It is just something I think you need to explain, thinking about nuance, depending on your perception and your perspective - you need to allow for something to be 51-49, you need to allow it to be 70-30 as there is always another side. 

"You need to explain it to your drivers and to your team, and you come to the conclusion that there is truth on both sides and if you don't do that, you are falling short of your role. It is just weak. 

"Why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver, but if you spend 90 seconds to think about it, [he is] a yapping little terrier, there is always something to say. 

"It is a thing between drivers, this is George and Max and I don't want to get involved in that, but if the other team principal calls George hysteric, this is where he crosses a line. 

"His quality for sure is not an intellectual in psychoanalysis, but how dare you? How dare you comment on the state of mind of my driver?"