George Russell was surprised on Sunday in the final phase of the Spanish Grand Prix when Max Verstappen drove into his car. The Mercedes driver wonders what was going through the reigning world champion’s head.
“I really have no idea what he was thinking. Suddenly someone crashes into me. It was a totally unnecessary action,” Russell judged. In an earlier duel at the restart after a late safety car, Verstappen briefly went off the track after contact with the Briton. Red Bull then instructed the Dutchman to let Russell pass. Verstappen seemed to do this against his will, until he accelerated and suddenly drove into the Mercedes in turn 5.
“I’ve seen this often in sim racing, but not in Formula 1,” Russell responded. Former world champion Nico Rosberg thought Verstappen should have been disqualified after the race stewards kept it at a ten-second time penalty. “If this was indeed deliberate, I think so too,” Russell agreed with the former Mercedes driver. “I still have to watch it back.”
While Verstappen stated after the race that he did not regret his action, the judgment of the race direction regarding the first collision showed that Red Bull had made a misjudgment. It was precisely because of Russell that Verstappen briefly went off the track. After that, Verstappen played judge and jury.
‘He is one of the best drivers in the world’
“It’s a shame, because Max is one of the best drivers in the world. Just look at that overtaking move in Imola,” Russell continued. “He’s doing himself short like that. And I feel sorry for young children who look up to us. We are putting our lives on the line here. Fortunately, the cars are very safe these days, but you shouldn’t take that for granted.”
Russell and Verstappen have a history of clashes, especially last year during the Grand Prix of Qatar. In recent weeks, those emotions seemed to have calmed down again, and the two were ‘on speaking terms’. “I also don’t know if this was personal. It was especially very strange, bizarre actually. It really doesn’t make any sense to do this deliberately.”
The Mercedes leader said he didn’t know anyone within Formula 1 who would do this either. “But the stewards will have to decide what they think of it. It doesn’t matter that much to me either. I was on my way to a certain fifth place, now I still finished fourth. But I’m still intrigued; what exactly was Verstappen thinking?”