Russell Praises Verstappen for Owning Up
George Russell has welcomed Max Verstappen’s public apology following their controversial clash during the Spanish Grand Prix, saying it was “good” that the Red Bull driver took responsibility — though he admitted he was “a bit surprised” by the gesture.
The collision occurred in the late stages of the race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, after a safety car reshuffled the order and opened the door for close battles.
Verstappen, who had been running in third, found himself under pressure and eventually entangled in incidents with both Charles Leclerc and Russell, the latter of which drew the attention of stewards.
In a moment of frustration, Verstappen turned into Russell at Turn Five as the Mercedes driver attempted an overtake — an action that earned the Dutchman a 10-second penalty and three penalty points on his superlicence, bringing him to 11 points. One more point over the next two races would trigger a one-race suspension.
Russell, speaking ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, acknowledged Verstappen’s accountability:
“His actions cost him, and they benefited me. So, I should be almost thanking him. But it’s good to see that he took accountability, which I was a bit surprised by.”
Verstappen, in a social media post after the race, admitted the move was “not right and shouldn’t have happened,” calling it a misjudgement. However, he defended his general driving style, saying:
“I cannot just back out of everything. I trust myself. I come here to race, and I will always race hard.”
Russell believes Verstappen’s penalty in Spain was justified:
“I think the penalty was fair. If it had taken me out of the race, though, that would have needed to be judged more harshly.”
He added that Verstappen’s near-suspension status could actually become a strategic opportunity for his rivals:
“We have to be smart and use it to our advantage. I’m not going to change anything. If he keeps driving like that, he’ll eventually get punished.”
The Mercedes driver also offered insight into the incident itself, saying he didn’t believe Verstappen intended to crash:
“I think he was trying to run me off the road but not intentionally hit me. He just misjudged it.”
In a lighter moment, Russell revealed he bumped into Verstappen at Nice airport the morning after the race, while heading to the French Open final.
“I totally forgot about Barcelona. He was there with his newborn and we had a quick chat. He was busy folding the pram at the security check.”
As the F1 circus moves to Canada, all eyes will be on Verstappen—not just for his racing, but to see whether he can avoid the single penalty point that would cost him a Grand Prix.
Russell Praises Verstappen for Owning Up