Max Verstappen expressed on Monday that his frustration led to “movements that were inappropriate and shouldn’t have occurred.” This followed a collision with George Russell during the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
Prior to the collision, the Red Bull team requested Verstappen to give up his position to Russell, stemming from an earlier incident where both drivers attempted to pass the off-track Verstappen.
The race steward concluded that Verstappen had “suddenly accelerated” prior to the crash, with Russell commenting that it “felt very intentional.” Consequently, Verstappen received a 10-second penalty, which dropped him from fifth to tenth place, leaving him 49 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, who won the race on Sunday.
“There was an exciting strategy and a great race in Barcelona until the safety car was deployed. After the safety car restart, my frustration grew due to tire choices and some movements. I shared my thoughts on Instagram.
“I always put my all in for the team, and emotions can run high. We win some together and lose some together. Looking forward to seeing you in Montreal (for the next race).”
Initially, right after Sunday’s race, Verstappen remarked, “Next time we bring in the organization.” Russell finished in fourth place.
A Series of Setbacks
The collision followed a series of challenges for Verstappen, who was in third place before the safety car was deployed and was applying pressure on the two leading McLaren drivers.
Red Bull decided to pit Verstappen for fresh tires, but he was left with the slow hard compound tires not utilized by other drivers.
Upon restart, Verstappen lost grip and was passed by Charles Leclerc, who made contact with Verstappen’s Red Bull, which did not result in any blame for either driver.
Verstappen then went off-track while defending against Russell, and Red Bull advised him to concede the position. The steward later concluded that no action would be taken against the Dutch driver regarding the incident.
Risk of Suspension
The penalty for the clash with Russell also resulted in penalty points on his license, bringing his total to 11 over the past 12 months. This means Verstappen must exercise caution in the next two races. A driver accrues a one-race suspension if they accumulate 12 points within a year.
Two of these points will expire at the end of the month, but until then, Verstappen must navigate the Canadian and Austrian Grand Prix without incurring any additional penalty points.
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Source: apnews.com