Russell rivalry bringing excitement to the Max

In his weekly Caney’s Corner column, Gavin Caney looks at the rivalry between West Norfolk F1 star George Russell and world champion Max Verstappen.There’s nothing like a good old bit of Formula 1 handbags.Rivalries go down in folklore, be it between two prospective champions or team-mates.The sport has been littered with them over the years, often involving some of the greatest characters or drivers to grace F1.Lewis Hamilton v Nico Rosberg, Michael Schumacher v Damon Hill, Alain Prost v Ayrton Senna. Hell, they even made a film about James Hunt and Niki Lauder’s battles.While there’s no suggestion the issues between West Norfolk’s George Russell and world champion Max Verstappen will be heading for the big screen, there’s potential for this feud to run and run.Tensions between the pair began a few years back when Red Bull and Mercedes, more so because of Lewis Hamilton, went head-to-head causing sparks to fly. Back in 2021, Verstappen ‘dive-bombed’ Hamilton a few times and did the same to Lando Norris causing a drivers’ meeting to be held about the now four-times-in-a-row title winner’s actions behind the wheel. Russell stated afterwards that 19 of the 20 drivers were “aligned on where it needs to be” when it came to safety but didn’t name the Dutchman as the odd one out. He didn’t need to though because everyone knew who he meant.Their simmering discontent re-ignited last weekend when the pair ended in the stewards’ room following an incident during qualification. Verstappen was punished for driving too slow and impacting Russell’s lap time and quickly hit out at his fellow driver for “trying to screw someone over that hard” while speaking to rule-makers.The former Wisbech Grammar School pupil hit back stating: “It’s funny. “Because even before I said a word in the stewards, he was swearing at the stewards. He was so angry before I’d even spoken.”There is nothing to lie about. He was going too slow. He was on the racing line and in the high-speed corner. I wasn’t trying to get him a penalty. I was just trying to prepare my lap. You fight hard on track and in the stewards, the same way as Max the very next day asked his team to look at Lando’s penalty on the yellow flag. That’s not personal. That’s racing. I don’t know why he felt the need for this personal attack and I’m not going to take it.” Russell may have finished a place in front of Verstappen in the final race of 2024 but had laid an even bigger blow before that by declaring “people have been bullied by Max for years now.”It’s a shame the season has ended which may cool things but it won’t take a lot to turn the heat back up in 2025. Here’s hoping it gets even spicier!A new nightclub opening in Manchester certainly isn’t sport news.However, it’s sparked some debate about society and, in turn, fandom, given that there’s one strict rule – attendees’ smartphone cameras must be covered with a sticker.The venue’s director said “we really want the music and the experience to be front and centre”, which seems like a no-brainer really. Yet people are so busy filming so they can post on socials that they seem to forget what’s happening right in front of them.I find it saddening that we live in a world where people would rather watch these live experiences through a lens.Sure, a quick picture for your memories – or even your grid – but then just focus on what’s unfolding when you’re lucky enough to be there. The noise, the colours, the sound; you’re unlikely to ever watch the video back either.It’s exactly the same at football matches, or any sporting fixture. When a player is about to take a penalty, out come the phones. When the celebrations begin, those phones are turned inwards to capture the scenes. However, the way to really capture it is to immerse yourself in it. Embrace the moment, lose yourself and let go. Be present. Forget about showing off. Enjoy who you’re with; after all, you might actually enjoy yourself.The magic of the FA Cup allows football fans to dream.They don’t necessarily go to bed with hopes of making a Wembley final.But they may drift off thinking about a big trip to a Premier League side if their club is playing at a lower-level. So fans of Peterborough United must have been pinching themselves when they landed a trip to Everton in the third round.Sadly, it’s turned into something of a nightmare.A sold-out allocation heading to the iconic Goodison Park for the first time in its last season would provide plenty of respite in a difficult season.Yet the ills of the modern game have struck again. The tie has been scheduled for a Thursday night in early January; an evening when no trains are running from Liverpool to Peterborough and the attendance will likely be hit, thus reducing Posh’s potential revenue.Peterborough released a strongly-worded statement to say “we are incredibly disappointed that the needs of our supporters have not been taken into consideration in this decision.”It’s another call that, as it stands, laughs in the face of any messaging that football is the fans’ game. It’s not been for a long time. It’s all about the money, TV schedules and the rich getting even richer.Here’s hoping an alternative date can be found quickly so that the magic of the FA Cup can still live on in the blue half of Cambridgeshire.