Max Verstappen remained defiant following his controversial clash with George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, stating after the race that he had no regrets about the incident and saw no need to apologize or speak with the Mercedes driver.
The flashpoint occurred on Lap 64 when Russell overtook Verstappen and forced him off the track. Verstappen rejoined using the escape road, and Red Bull, anticipating a penalty for gaining an advantage, instructed him to return to the position. Although the stewards later ruled that Russell was at fault in the initial move, they noted that Red Bull’s decision was based on their perception of the situation.
After conceding the position, Max Verstappen reacted in frustration by deliberately making contact with Russell’s car. The move earned him a 10-second time penalty that dropped him from fourth to tenth, along with three penalty points on his license. He now has 11 penalty points within 12 months, leaving him one point away from an automatic race ban.
The incident sparked strong criticism, particularly from 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, who believed that Verstappen’s actions warranted a black flag. He argued that regardless of how the situation unfolded, deliberately hitting another driver was unacceptable and set a poor example.
Russell also criticized the “maneuver”, acknowledging the Dutchman’s driving skills but calling the collision unnecessary and unsportsmanlike. He pointed out that such behaviour sends the wrong message to younger fans. Max Verstappen, however, remained firm in his stance. He dismissed the idea of discussing the matter with Russell, stood by his response during the race, and made it clear that he did not regret his actions.
Asked what he thought of Russell’s opinion on his driving and the example he set with the incident, Verstappen replied:
“Well, I’ll bring some tissues next time. He has his view, I have my view. It’s better to just focus on the race, which I think was quite okay.”
“Am I going to talk to George about this? No, I don’t think that’s necessary. I have nothing to say to him. In life, you shouldn’t regret something too often. You only live once. So no, I have no regrets today either,” Max Verstappen told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
Max Verstappen blames incident with George Russell on racing standards in F1
Max Verstappen attributed his clash with George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix to the broader issue of inconsistent racing standards in Formula 1 regarding what is permitted in wheel-to-wheel combat. The Dutch driver explained that while he lacked the outright pace to challenge the McLarens, a series of well-timed pit stops had allowed him to close the gap to the leaders.
However, Verstappen believed his race was compromised by the safety car deployed following Kimi Antonelli’s crash. The timing forced him onto a set of hard tires for his fourth stop, the only compound he had left, putting him at a disadvantage against rivals on fresher, softer rubber.
On the restart, Max Verstappen lost third place to Charles Leclerc after twitching on the pit straight. Moments later, he dropped to fourth when George Russell executed a bold move that led Red Bull to instruct its driver to surrender the position, a call Verstappen later saw as mistaken.
He expressed frustration over being squeezed on the straight and at Turn 1, and pointed to the combination of incidents, tire disadvantage, and team decisions as key contributors to his disappointing result.
Describing his race and the drama that unfolded, Max Verstappen said (via Planet F1):
“With the hard tires, I just didn’t have any grip. We didn’t have any good soft tyres left because we did that three-stop. Basically unlucky. I think up until then, it was looking quite good for us. We didn’t have the pace of the McLarens but with that three stop, it still looked quite racey out there, putting them at least a little bit under pressure in a way that they had to push. Unfortunately, that Safety Car just came at the wrong time. But that’s also part of racing.”
“Then, with the hard tire, I had a big moment in the last corner, because I couldn’t keep up with these soft tires around me. Then on the straight, I got driven into already and then into Turn 1 as well. Then they told me to give the position back. But honestly, I think the biggest issue that we have is just that the racing standards; what is allowed, what isn’t, is not very natural, and that is quite frustrating. And of course, sometimes it works for you, sometimes it works against you. And today that worked against me.”
Max Verstappen ultimately finished tenth in the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix after receiving a ten-second time penalty for his collision with George Russell. The incident proved costly in the championship battle, with the Dutchman now sitting third with 137 points. His gap to McLaren’s Lando Norris has widened from 22 to 39 points, while the deficit to championship leader Oscar Piastri has grown significantly, from 25 points before Barcelona to 49 points.
This is not the first time Verstappen and Russell have clashed. They were involved in a similarly heated on-track incident at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, which triggered a war of words that escalated through to the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Max Verstappen’s result in Spain was a major blow, particularly considering he could have finished fourth or fifth had Red Bull not misjudged the situation or had he avoided retaliating against Russell. A cleaner outcome could have netted him 10–12 valuable points and helped Red Bull maintain ground in the constructors’ standings.
Instead, the former champions have now slipped to fourth in the constructors’ championship with just 144 points. McLaren continues to dominate with 362 points, while Ferrari has surged into second with 165 and Mercedes sits third with 159.
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Edited by Tushar Bahl
