« It wasn’t right and shouldn’t have happened »: Verstappen on his manoeuvre against Russell
Max Verstappen has spoken out about his incident with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver posted a message on Instagram on Monday in which he acknowledged that his maneuver was inappropriate and should not have happened.
In a message posted on Instagram on Monday, Max Verstappen discussed his collision with George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver acknowledged the inappropriate nature of his maneuver and admitted that it should not have happened.
The tone, however, was quite different in the hours following the Barcelona race. Facing the media, the Dutchman adopted a defensive stance, categorically refusing to apologize to Russell. He stated at the time that one shouldn’t have too many regrets in life and that you only live once. He even went so far as to make a sarcastic remark about the Mercedes driver, suggesting that he would bring him tissues next time.
But this stance quickly softened. In his message on social media, Verstappen acknowledges that his frustration led him to a maneuver that wasn’t correct and shouldn’t have happened. Indeed, the Dutch driver had let his emotions get the better of him after a safety car period disrupted Red Bull’s race strategy. The Austrian team had then fitted him with hard tires, a choice that proved particularly penalizing against competitors equipped with more effective soft tires. This put him under pressure, especially as he was trying, with difficulty, to defend his third place just a few laps from the finish.
Consequence of poorly managed frustration
During the restart after the safety car intervention triggered by Kimi Antonelli’s accident, Verstappen cut the chicane to maintain his position against Russell after contact with Charles Leclerc. His engineer Gianpiero Lambiase then ordered him to give the position back. It was precisely at this moment that the situation turned at the fifth corner, when the frustrated Red Bull driver deliberately collided with the Mercedes while he initially seemed to comply.
This maneuver earned him a ten-second penalty, accompanied by three points on his super license. With a total now reaching eleven points, the Red Bull driver is just one point away from an automatic suspension. Two of his points will expire after the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June, bringing him back to nine points. Until then, Verstappen will need to exercise caution, but he will not be entirely out of the woods. Indeed, he must also avoid committing serious offenses that could cost him three points or more before the Mexican Grand Prix in October, otherwise suspension is guaranteed, as the remaining nine points will only disappear after that race.
Red Bull also assumes its share of responsibility
Christian Horner also spoke to contextualize the incident. The team director revealed that Verstappen had apologized during the internal debriefing, admitting that the safety car’s appearance came at the worst possible time for Red Bull. The team had gambled on hard tires, lacking new tires available, a losing bet that proved costly for the Dutch driver. Not only did he lose his podium position, but the stewards relegated him to tenth place following his collision with Russell.
The four-time world champion, who is aiming for a fifth title this season, is now 49 points behind leader Oscar Piastri. But the season is far from over, and everything is still to play for.
