George Russell « surprised » that Max Verstappen « took responsibility » for the collision in Spain
George Russell admitted he was « surprised » that Max Verstappen « took responsibility » for their collision in Spain via social networks, adding that they hadn't discussed the incident despite running into each other at the airport.
The Mercedes driver went wheel-to-wheel with Max Verstappen in the final laps of the Spanish Grand Prix, as the two men found themselves side by side in the first corner after the restart following the safety car, which led the Dutchman to go off track.
An incident closed?
After retaking the track ahead of Russell, Verstappen was ordered by his Red Bull team to let the Briton pass. He slowed down at the exit of turn 4, then accelerated and hit the Briton in the next left turn.
The reigning world champion ultimately relinquished the position and finished fifth on the track, but a 10-second penalty for the collision demoted him to 10th place. The next day, he posted on Instagram: « It wasn't a good move and it shouldn't have happened. »
Before the Canadian Grand Prix, George Russell explained that he thought Max Verstappen was simply looking to establish himself, to show who is the boss, rather than commit a deliberately dangerous action, and assured that there was no conflict between them.
« Obviously, I would have had a different reaction if it had forced me to abandon, but in the end I gained an advantage and he was penalized, » said Russell.
« I was a bit surprised that he took responsibility, but so be it. I didn't talk to him about it. We ran into each other at the airport recently, but I completely forgot that we'd had a disagreement a few days earlier. No problem. »
Max Verstappen under pressure
In addition to the time penalty, Max Verstappen received three penalty points on his license, putting him just one point away from an automatic suspension for a race.
This means that the Dutchman will have to get through the Canadian and Austrian Grand Prix without incident to avoid being sidelined, before two of his current 11 points are wiped after a period of 12 months.
Asked about the fact that a reigning world champion might miss a race, George Russell reminded that the rules applied to everyone: « That's how it has to be in racing. If you take risks and mess up, you're penalized. And if you accumulate points, you're suspended for a race. I'm not going to dwell on that, it's not my problem, it's his. I'm focusing on this weekend, and we'll see after that. That's racing. »
Before the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was also questioned about this sword of Damocles and its impact on his approach to the race: « I can't do anything about it, so I focus on what's coming and try to do my best every time. It doesn't change my approach, and I can't speak for others. »
And to conclude: « If we look at it objectively, yes, missing a race is not ideal, but it's not the end of the world either. »
Read also: Max Verstappen comments on his collision with George Russell: "You live and learn"
