Red Bull Racing CEO Christian Horner revealed that Max Verstappen apologized to team members following his collision with George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix. According to a statement issued on his Instagram handle, Verstappen addressed the incident during the team’s post-race debrief.
The clash with Russell proved costly for both Verstappen and Red Bull. The four-time world champion dropped from a potential fourth-place finish to tenth after receiving a ten-second penalty, scoring only one point. The outcome also saw Red Bull fall to fourth in the constructors’ championship, now trailing McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
The incident was seen as avoidable and contributed to a missed opportunity for the team. Max Verstappen had been on course for a strong finish until the late-race developments and the team’s decision to give the position back to Russell led to further trouble. Horner indicated that the safety car, caused by Kimi Antonelli’s crash, disrupted what had been a well-executed three-stop strategy.
The team did not have the pace to challenge race leader Lando Norris, but a solid points haul was still possible. The safety car timing further impacted the result, and the incident with Russell ultimately led to a disappointing finish. On the other side of the garage, Horner reckoned that Yuki Tsunoda missed out on a potential points finish. He felt that the Japanese driver had been on a promising trajectory before the safety car reshuffled the field, which hindered his strategy.
Red Bull left Barcelona with just one point between their two drivers and increasing pressure in both championships. Horner considered the outcome frustrating, but acknowledged that uncertainty and misfortune are part of the sport.
Debriefing the race on his social media, Horner said:
“Spain closes out the triple header and we leave Barcelona frustrated that we didn’t take more from the race. As a team we attacked on the three stop which was the better strategy and it was only the safety car which had us over. We would never have been as close to Lando if it wasn’t for the three stopper. The safety car came out at the worst possible time for our strategy, we had the choice to stay out on older tyres or take the gamble with a new set of hard tyres. Hindsight is always 20/20, but we made the best decision at the time with the information we had. The result that followed was frustrating as it was looking to be an easy podium for Max and good Championship points. Max apologized in the debrief for his incident with Russell.”
“The SC also hurt Yuki’s race, he would’ve been very close if not in the points otherwise if you look at the trajectory he was on. But that’s racing. It can turn in a split second. It is one of the reasons we are all so captivated and in love with this sport. It was a tough weekend, but we will busy working hard over the next weeks to make some set-up improvements to the car and come back strong in Montreal.”
Christian Horner addresses Nico Rosberg’s commentary and Max Verstappen one one-race ban
Christian Horner downplayed Nico Rosberg’s comments suggesting Max Verstappen should have received a black flag for his collision with George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix. Speaking to the onsite media after the race, the Red Bull Racing CEO characterized Rosberg’s assessment as sensationalist and chose not to elaborate further.
Horner acknowledged that Verstappen must maintain clean driving standards in the upcoming races to avoid a race ban, as the Dutchman is currently one penalty point away from suspension. He also indicated that Verstappen’s reaction on track was likely a result of frustration, stemming from prior incidents during the race, specifically the sequence involving Charles Leclerc and George Russell.
The Red Bull team continues to manage the fallout from the Spanish GP, where Verstappen’s penalty reduced his points haul and contributed to Red Bull’s slip to fourth in the constructors’ championship.
Asked about Rosberg’s commentary on Max Verstappen deserving a black flag, Horner said (via RacingNews 365):
“Nico is quite sensationalist in the way that he commentates. So I’ll leave it at that.”
Asked about the Dutchman inching closer to a race ban, Horner replied:
“You know, you can never guarantee anything. I mean, he’s just got to keep his nose clean in the next couple of races, and then the first points come off at the end of June. It was clear that you could hear he was frustrated, and he didn’t agree with both Charles or George.”
Max Verstappen received a ten-second time penalty and three penalty points on his license for his collision with George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix. The Dutchman now holds a total of 11 penalty points, just one short of triggering a race ban. He remains third in the drivers’ standings with 137 points but has seen his gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri extend to 49 points and to second-placed Lando Norris increase to 39 points.
Red Bull’s situation in the constructors’ standings has also worsened. The team has slipped to fourth with 144 points. McLaren leads the standings comfortably with 362 points, while Ferrari sits in second with 165 points, and Mercedes is third with 159.
Red Bull now trails Ferrari by 21 points and Mercedes by 15, a significant gap considering the tight margins between the three teams before the Spanish GP.
The penalty and Max Verstappen’s resulting tenth-place finish have compounded Red Bull’s existing problems with the RB21, which continues to suffer from performance issues. The team’s inconsistency is further amplified by their lack of a strong second driver to regularly support Verstappen in the points.
With a potential race ban looming for the reigning world champion, Red Bull faces an increasingly uphill battle to recover in the remainder of the season.
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Edited by Tushar Bahl
