After being accused of poor sportsmanship by Russell, Verstappen delivers a cutting response, escalating media tensions after the Spanish Grand Prix.
In front of the written press, just after learning he was only one point away from a suspension for a Grand Prix (the investigation into his collision with Leclerc still ongoing at the time), Max Verstappen adopted a provocative and dismissive tone when discussing his incident with George Russell at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix. However, he ultimately denied the suggestion of a deliberate collision.
Verstappen showed little interest in giving detailed answers about the incident during his interactions with the press. When 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg said, “That should lead to a disqualification” because it was “unsportsmanlike,” Verstappen replied, “That’s his opinion. Everyone can have their opinion.”
But he eventually responded when told it looked deliberate on television: “No, I think it was a misjudgment.”
The stewards did not agree. He now finds himself with 11 points out of 12 on his license, just one point away from a suspension. But Verstappen defended himself.
“On the straight, I was already hit by Leclerc, then in the first corner also by Russell.”
“Then they told me to give the place back. Honestly, I think the biggest problem we face is the racing standards: what’s allowed and what isn’t isn’t very natural. And that’s quite frustrating. Sometimes it works in your favor, sometimes against you, and today, it worked against me.”
It has since become clear, through a stewards’ decision, that Verstappen was exempt from a penalty for taking the escape road at Turn 1, even though he had not returned the position.
In any case, Verstappen dismissed the idea that the lost points – currently nine, due to the 10-second penalty that dropped him from fifth to tenth in the standings – had any impact on the championship.
“I never said I was in a title fight, first of all! So far, every race has been tough. When the McLarens get it right, they’re unbeatable. And I think that’s pretty clear this season.”
As for the decision to switch from used softs to new hards – a “really bad” tyre – for the final restart, Verstappen said it needed to be analyzed and that, until then, Red Bull had done everything right strategy-wise.
“I thought the hards could be a bit better, but they weren’t, especially with six laps to go. Everyone can go flat out with softs and the grip is limited compared to others.”
One would hardly expect Max Verstappen to express any remorse, given his unshakable confidence in his abilities.
In fact, getting Verstappen to open up about the incident required some effort from the journalists.
When asked whether Russell was right to say he was setting a bad example for younger drivers, he replied: “OK, well, I’ll bring tissues next time.”
When invited to revisit the incident, he simply said that Russell had “his opinion” and that he had “his own.”
He continued in that tone. His response to whether he regretted his conduct sums up Verstappen’s approach perfectly: “I think in life, you shouldn’t regret too much, especially not in F1.”
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