Verstappen’s penalty at the Spanish Grand Prix raises serious FIA concerns, as F1 debates the impact of deliberate collision decisions.
Gunther Steiner believes Max Verstappen “lost his mind” during the incident at the Spanish Grand Prix, which saw him collide with George Russell in his Red Bull. The former Haas F1 team principal also criticizes the FIA for setting a dangerous precedent with the penalty that was ultimately handed down.
When Red Bull advised Verstappen to give back his position to Russell to avoid a potential penalty for going off-track and gaining an advantage, Verstappen saw red. After appearing to let the Mercedes F1 driver through, he deliberately drove into him.
“Panic may not be the right word, but I think he lost his mind,” Steiner commented.
“He’s not used to this. He was so upset about the tires they had put on the car. I think that’s what triggered the issue, and few drivers… when he accelerated and the car stepped out on the restart, not many could have caught a car like that. It was pretty wild. He caught it, but clearly, in his head, he was thinking ‘It’s over. I’m done.’”
“And from that point, he couldn’t pull himself together. It was strange because we know he can be a bit temperamental, but not to that extent.”
The former Haas F1 team principal highlighted Red Bull’s strong race management up until the safety car intervention. However, the incident earned Verstappen a 10-second penalty, dropping him from fifth to tenth under the checkered flag.
“I think he was very disappointed because, in the end, he had run a good race up to that point. Red Bull’s three stops were excellent. I think they pushed McLaren as hard as they could with the car they had. But Max, in the end, did everything he normally shouldn’t do.”
The bigger issue, according to Steiner, remains the nature of the sanction imposed. Appropriate in the moment, in his view, but not after the race.
“You’re not allowed to hit someone on purpose.”
“Max shouldn’t have received a black flag (disqualification) during the race, because the stewards didn’t have time to assess all the evidence of what happened between Max and George. Any decision might have led to the wrong outcome.”
“He could have been disqualified afterward, but they didn’t need to give the black flag immediately. In that regard, we’re okay.”
“But if it was intentional, I’m sure there’s a provision in the regulations that calls for a disqualification, because again, you don’t hit someone on purpose.”
“Why wasn’t he disqualified afterward? I don’t know. In any case, Max and the FIA have created a dangerous precedent… If someone does this again, it’ll be a 10-second penalty. It’s not a disqualification. And that sends a very bad message.”
- Discover More>Tsunoda & Antonelli Wrap Up Key 2026 Tyre Test in Spain
- Following us on>Facebook et Twitter
