Christian Horner and Toto Wolff, the team bosses of Red Bull and Mercedes respectively, have shared their insights regarding the dramatic collision between Max Verstappen and George Russell during the closing stages of the recent Spanish Grand Prix.
The incident unfolded after a Safety Car was deployed due to Kimi Antonelli’s stoppage, positioning Verstappen under significant pressure from drivers who had fitted soft tires. Verstappen, having pitted for hard tires, was unable to match the pace of his rivals, which set the stage for the ensuing chaos.
At the race restart, Verstappen struggled to get off the line and was quickly challenged by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. After some intense wheel-banging on the start/finish straight, Leclerc managed to overtake Verstappen.
Seizing the opportunity, Russell attempted to make a move on the Dutch driver as they approached Turn 1. A controversial sequence saw Verstappen exit the track option and maintain his position temporarily. However, Verstappen’s race engineer instructed him to let Russell pass, and although the Dutchman seemed to acquiesce at Turn 5, he quickly resumed his pace, resulting in a collision with Russell on the penultimate lap.
In the aftermath of the race, Russell expressed his frustration, stating during media interviews, “I just got crashed into!”
Horner elaborated on the incident, suggesting that Verstappen had lost control at the restart, which ultimately led to the contact with Russell. He explained, “Max had a snap at the restart. Charles got alongside him, and it looked like he pulled left on him.”
He added, “Then George obviously tried to capitalize on that into Turn 1, and it was very, very marginal. Based on recent experience and looking at recent incidents, obviously it’s subjective. You’ve asked for guidance from the FIA, from the referee. Essentially, there’s nothing come back. You can see that it’s been reported; it’s going to the stewards.”
Horner acknowledged that the collision was likely to result in a penalty, which indeed came to fruition as Verstappen was deemed to have caused the incident and subsequently received a 10-second time penalty along with penalty points on his license.
“The instruction was given to Max to give that place back, which he was obviously upset about and annoyed about, because he felt that, one, he’d been left no space and, two, that George hadn’t been fully in control,” Horner said. “After a conversation with his engineer, he elected to give the place back at Turn 5, and there was contact between the two cars.”
Indeed, the episode was frustrating for Horner as it left his team with only one point from a race that could have easily garnered them a podium finish.
In the post-race analysis, Wolff provided his perspective, revealing that he was unaware of the instruction to let Russell pass during the race. “I just heard, actually, that Max had the call to let him pass, right? I didn’t know. We were under the impression in the race that he had a problem with the car, and that’s why he was so slow getting out of [Turn 4],” he stated.
Wolff speculated about Verstappen’s motivations during the incident, noting, “I mean, if it was road rage, which I can’t imagine, because it was too obvious, then it’s not good. But the thing is, I don’t know what he aimed for. Did he want to let George pass and immediately repass, put George the car ahead? Then, like the old DRS games, letting him pass the right way?” He concluded, “For me, it’s just incomprehensible.”
As the discussion deepened regarding Verstappen’s racecraft, Wolff pointed out a pattern he observed among great athletes. He said, “There’s a pattern that I’ve read; the great ones, whether it’s in motor racing or in other sports, you just need to have the world against you and perform at the highest possible level.”
He further emphasized the importance of recognizing personal mistakes, noting, “That’s why sometimes these greats don’t recognize that actually the world is not against you; it’s just you who has… you have made a mistake or you’ve screwed up, et cetera.”
In closing, Wolff remarked on the absence of such moments from Verstappen’s recent performances, referencing past incidents from 2021 while pondering the current situation. This conflict between two leading drivers adds another layer of intrigue to an already competitive season.
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