Verstappen apologizes to Crash with Russell in Barcelona!

Verstappen apologizes to Crash with Russell in Barcelona!

The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Barcelona Last weekend there was a controversial incident between Max Verstappen and George Russell, which caused a lot of conversation. Verstappen rammed Russell after the team had previously given him the instruction to let the British pass. This led to a ten -hour time penalty for the Dutchman, who fell back to tenth position from fifth. The reaction of the Red Bull pilot on social media was not long in coming.

Verstappen said on Instagram that his maneuver "should not have happened" and explained that frustration about the decisions and the choice of tires and its emotional reactions had played a role. Christian Horner, the team leader of Red Bull, also spoke about the incident and apology from Verstappen in the team, while he first searched the mistakes with the race management and Russell. "We have to work intensively on improvements in order to return to Montreal," added Horner to focus on upcoming races.

penalties and effects

The collision took place with just a few rounds, while Verstappen and Russell fought for fourth place. Russell described the incident as "intentionally" and "completely unnecessary". The racing commissioners, on the other hand, had taken note of the incident, and Verstappen not only received the time penalty, but also three penalty points on his super license, which now only removes him from an automatic racing lock. The pressure on Verstappen is growing, especially since it was already 49 points behind the incumbent leader Oscar Piatri, who had won the race.

The strategy of Red Bull was negatively influenced by the use of the Safety Car during the race. Horner emphasized that under the given circumstances the best possible decisions were made. Verstappen himself expressed his displeasure that he did not get enough space when attempted overtaking and that Russell had not quite had control over his vehicle.

Formula 1 controversy in the context

A look at Formula 1's previous statistics shows that Verstappen was also known for controversial moments in the past. As the youngest Grand Prix winner of all time at only 18 years and 228 days, he is in a row with legendary drivers. In the 2023 season, Verstappen achieved the most points in a World Cup season with 575 points and ended many races at the top. However, these successes are overshadowed by incidents such as that in Barcelona.

The constructor evaluation is currently dominated by McLaren, which exerts additional pressure on the Red Bull team and its top driver. In this context, it will be crucial how Verstappen and Red Bull present themselves in the upcoming races, especially at the next meeting in Montreal.

The coming weeks could be crucial for Verstappen and his chances of the title. The Dutch driver must learn to control such emotional outbreaks in order to better master his challenges in the driver's ranking. How the situation develops and whether Verstappen can rehabilitate remains to be seen.

Further information on the background of Formula 1 and the records achieved so far are available on the pages of thewesten.de, skysports.com and wikipedia.