Max Verstappen expressed regret on Monday regarding an incident at the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, admitting that his frustration resulted in “a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened.” This comes after earlier indications of little remorse about the collision with fellow driver George Russell.
Prior to the clash, the Red Bull team instructed Verstappen to relinquish a position to Russell. This occurred after an initial encounter where Russell had attempted to overtake Verstappen, causing the latter to leave the track momentarily.
According to the race stewards, Verstappen “suddenly accelerated” leading up to the collision, with Russell describing it as “very deliberate.” The stewards penalized Verstappen with a 10-second penalty, demoting him from fifth to tenth place, thereby extending his standing deficit to series leader Oscar Piastri, who clinched victory on Sunday.
Verstappen took to Instagram to reflect on the incident, stating, “We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona until the safety car came out. Our tire choice to the end and some moves after the safety car restart fueled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened.”
He added, “I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you (at the next race) in Montreal.”
In the immediate aftermath of the race on Sunday, Verstappen quipped, “next time I will bring a tissue,” in response to Russell’s remarks that Verstappen set a poor example for young drivers. Russell finished the race in fourth place.
This collision seemed to compound a challenging race for Verstappen, who was in third place and putting pressure on the McLaren drivers ahead before the safety car was deployed. Red Bull made the strategic call to pit Verstappen for fresh tires, though the remaining set available was a slower hard-compound, one that none of the other competitors opted for.
At the race restart, Verstappen encountered tire grip issues and was swiftly overtaken by Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, which physically interacted with Verstappen’s Red Bull. The race stewards did not assign fault for this minor collision.
Faced with defending his position against Russell, Verstappen went off the track. In light of potential penalties, Red Bull requested Verstappen to yield to Russell, amidst expectations of an adverse ruling. However, the stewards later clarified no penalties would have been enforced in this situation.
Verstappen now faces the risk of suspension in the upcoming races, as the incident with Russell added to his existing penalty points tally. He currently stands at 11 points accrued over the past 12 months, with drivers set to receive a one-race suspension upon reaching 12 points within a year.
While two of these penalty points are due to expire at the end of the month, Verstappen must navigate the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix without incurring additional penalties to avoid suspension.