Jenson Button has passed verdict on Max Verstappen's X-rated tirade with George Russell as the Red Bull star slammed his Mercedes counterpart during several clashes across a tense Qatar GP weekend.
The former F1 world champion is amongst the less controversial former stars but had strong criticism for the FIA as the two drivers endured furious confrontations in the middle east.
Tempers initially flared after Verstappen was dramatically stripped of pole position following qualifying that instead handed Russell top spot on the grid heading into Sunday's penultimate showdown on the calendar.
The newly recrowned world champion was penalised for driving 'unnecessarily slowly' and impeding the Mercedes man as they geared up for their final flying laps at Lusail Circuit.
The stewards' decision – demoting Verstappen one place – came three hours after the action ended and gave Russell only his fifth career pole.
Both drivers were called to the stewards room to determine who was at fault during the qualifying exchange and Verstappen later fumed that he had lost all respect for the Englishman who he labelled as hypocritical and two-faced.
A public demonstration of discontent between the pair also saw Verstappen reject Russell's offer of a fist-pump before Sunday's race got underway, with the Red Bull ace passing his rival on the first corner and never looking back.
Now, Button has slammed the FIA's decision and defended Verstappen by claiming that he himself had been prevented from moving position in qualifying by Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso who was driving similarly slow.
'The problem for me is that he's [Verstappen] got Fernando Alonso in front of him doing exactly the same speed,' Button told Sky Sports.
'It's not like Max has just gone, 'you know what? I'm going to put the anchors on and hit the brakes right in the middle of a high-speed corner'.
'He's got the same distance to the car in front the whole way through Turn 12, 13. It's shocking to me that he got a penalty, it really is.
'It felt like it should have been the same as everyone else. We had it in sprint qualifying as well,' he added.
Speaking at the time of his penalisation, Verstappen blasted Russell for what he perceived as disingenuous behaviour when the pair debated who was at fault in qualifying.
'He always acts very nice here in front of the cameras. But when you're in there it's a completely different person. I can't stand that,' he said.
'I've been in that meeting room many times with people that I've raced. And I've never seen anyone trying to screw someone over that hard. I lost all respect. It was ridiculous how he tried to force a penalty, and I was heavily p*****.'
According to Marca, Verstappen also said to Dutch media: 'He'd better go f*** himself, I don't want to have anything to do with him'.
Russell hit back by claiming at the time that it was Verstappen's actions that had cost him pole position in Qatar in the first place.
The pair will meet again in the final GP of the season in Abu Dhabi on Sunday where Verstappen will officially be recognised as a four-time Formula One world champion.
