Verstappen Admits Error in Clash with Russell: “I Shouldn’t Have Passed”

Verstappen Admits Error After Collision with Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix

Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver, has acknowledged his responsibility for the incident with George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix. After the controversial crash, Verstappen admitted that his action “was not correct” and “should not have happened”. The incident occurred when Verstappen, after being overtaken by Russell, collided with the Mercedes of the British driver. The stewards imposed a 10-second penalty on him for causing the collision. In a social media post, Verstappen explained that the frustration generated by the race strategy and the decisions made after the safety car came out influenced his behavior. Max Verstappen’s post said:

We had an exciting strategy and a good race in Barcelona, until the safety car came out. Our tire choice until the end and some moves after the safety car restart fueled my frustration, which led to a maneuver that was not correct and should not have happened.

Max Verstappen

Before the incident, Verstappen was in third position. The safety car’s appearance hurt his strategy, as he had to fit hard tires, while his direct competitors, Charles Leclerc and George Russell, opted for soft tires, gaining a performance advantage. Verstappen’s engineer instructed him to yield the position to Russell to avoid a possible penalty. However, on the next lap, Verstappen collided with the Mercedes, resulting in a 10-second penalty and three penalty points on his super license. This penalty leaves Verstappen one point away from a possible suspension for the next races. The outcome of the Grand Prix has also affected Verstappen’s position in the championship, putting him 49 points behind the leader, Oscar Piastri. Christian Horner, Red Bull’s boss, revealed that Verstappen apologized to the team after the race. Christian Horner’s post said:

The safety car came out at the worst possible moment for our strategy, we had the option of staying out on older tires or risking a new set of hard tires. Hindsight is always 20/20, but we made the best decision at that moment with the information we had. The result that followed was frustrating, as it seemed to be an easy podium for Max and good points for the Championship.

Christian Horner

Additionally, Horner mentioned that the safety car also affected Yuki’s race, who would otherwise have been close to the points.