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Key Points

Max Verstappen's daring move at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix led to a collision with George Russell, which he later admitted was a mistake. The incident happened after a strategic misstep during a safety car period, significantly affecting Verstappen's race outcome. He received three penalty points, putting him dangerously close to a race ban as he approaches upcoming races in Canada and Austria. Red Bull boss Christian Horner emphasized the importance of caution in upcoming races to maintain Verstappen's eligibility.

Key Points: Verstappen Admits Error in Russell Collision at Spanish GP

  • Verstappen admits fault after collision with Russell
  • Penalty impacts Verstappen's championship standings
  • Horner urges Verstappen to avoid further incidents
2 min read

Formula 1: Verstappen admits his move on Russell was 'not right'

Verstappen's overtaking error with Russell at Spanish GP earns him penalty points.

"A move that was not right and shouldn't have happened. - Max Verstappen"

New Delhi, June 2

Defending Drivers Champions Max Verstappen was in the spotlight after his Red Bull came in contact with the Mercedes of George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.

What seemed to be a lacklustre race was completely changed when Kimi Antonelli was forced to retire following a power unit issue, bringing a safety car into place.

Verstappen, who was on a three-stop strategy, came into the pit for a fourth time during the safety car but had to come out on hard compound tyres. He was overtaken instantly by Charles Leclerc at the restart and made contact with Russell, which forced the Dutch driver to leave the track and rejoin ahead of the British driver.

When asked by his team to give Russell the position back, Verstappen was livid on the team radio and once again made contact with the Mercedes.

“We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, [until] the Safety Car came out. Our tyre choice at the end and some moves after the [Safety Car] restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn't have happened.

“I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal,” Verstappen posted on Instagram.

Verstappen was handed the three penalty points for the crash, which saw him finish 10th, which moved the Dutchman to 11 penalty points – one point away from a ban. The points accrue across a rolling 12-month period, with none coming off Verstappen’s tally until the end of June. Before that date, Verstappen must negotiate both the Canadian Grand Prix and Red Bull’s home race in Austria.

Team boss Christian Horner admitted Verstappen needs to keep his nose clean, in order to avoid the race ban.

“You can never guarantee anything. He's just got to keep his nose clean in the next couple of races. Then the first points come off at the end of June,” said Horner after the race.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

Here are 5 diverse Indian perspective comments for the Formula 1 article:
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Rahul P.
Verstappen needs to control his temper better. As a champion, he should set an example. Indian fans love F1 but we value sportsmanship too. That move was dangerous and totally unnecessary. Hope he learns from this before the Canadian GP.
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Priya K.
The race was so boring until this incident! 😅 Typical Verstappen - always making things interesting. But seriously, he's lucky to escape with just penalty points. That second contact after being told to give position back was childish. #F1India
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Arjun M.
As an Indian F1 fan since the Narain Karthikeyan days, I've seen many aggressive drivers. But Verstappen is pushing it too far now. The sport needs clean racing, not these dangerous moves. FIA should be stricter with penalties.
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Sneha R.
Honestly, this is why I support Leclerc! 🏁 Verstappen's talent is undeniable but his attitude ruins it. Indian fans deserve better role models in motorsports. Hope our own Jehan Daruvala makes it to F1 soon - he races with much more maturity.
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Vikram S.
The real issue is Red Bull's strategy blunder. Why put him on hard tyres during safety car? As an engineer myself, this was poor decision making. Verstappen's frustration was understandable but not his reaction. Hope they bounce back in Canada!

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