Russell: Verstappen's Tactics Fail, No Apologies After F1 Crash

Russell Analyzes the Incident with Verstappen in Spain

Mercedes driver George Russell has shared his impressions of the incident with Max Verstappen at the Spanish Grand Prix, suggesting that the world champion tried to assert his authority, but the strategy didn’t work as expected. In statements to the British press before the tenth race of the season in Montreal, Russell commented that he does not believe Verstappen intentionally tried to crash into him.

“I was just trying to elbow my way in and show who’s boss. He was wrong. Jos is the boss,” said Russell, jokingly referring to Verstappen’s father.
George Russell

Verstappen received three penalty points and was relegated from fifth to tenth place in the race. Now, he is one point away from an automatic suspension. The incident is still a topic of conversation at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where both drivers shared the front row last year and could compete side by side again on Sunday. Verstappen acknowledged after Spain that the maneuver “was not correct and should not have happened”, but Russell, who finished fourth in Spain, stated that he is not seeking an apology.

“I don’t think he needs to apologize to me. His actions cost him and benefited me. I should almost thank him. But it’s good to see that he took responsibility, which surprised me a little. I think he just wanted to scare me a bit, but he miscalculated. I wasn’t going to be scared, it was all a bit surprising,” added Russell.
George Russell

Russell acknowledged that he could take advantage of the situation if Verstappen has to be cautious about a possible suspension.

“This weekend, if I see him on the track, I’ll race the same. I want to win. I won’t give him any more space or anything like that,” he stated.
George Russell

Russell also recounted a brief encounter with Verstappen at the airport, where they spoke briefly. Russell spoke in Spain about his concern for the effect on young drivers of Verstappen’s driving, which led the Dutchman to tell reporters that he would “bring some tissues” next time.