Christian Horner defends Verstappen and confirms apology after Spanish GP crash

Following the controversial collision with George Russell at the Spanish GP, Red Bull's Christian Horner publicly defended Max Verstappen, highlighting prior on-track tensions and confirming Verstappen's apology to the team. This incident, which earned Verstappen a 10-second penalty and three license points, puts him on the brink of a race ban, intensifying scrutiny on his aggressive driving style.

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Motorsport+1
Updated 53m ago
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Sources: Motorsport
Max Verstappen faced criticism after a controversial collision with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, which earned him a 10-second penalty and three penalty points on his license, putting him close to a race ban.

Verstappen admitted the move "was not right and shouldn't have happened," attributing it to frustration after tyre choices and safety car restarts. The incident occurred when Verstappen appeared to let Russell overtake at Turn 5, only to accelerate into the side of the Mercedes.

George Russell described the collision as "very deliberate," noting it was a tactic he had only seen in sim racing, not in Formula 1. Former world champion Nico Rosberg called for Verstappen's disqualification, labeling the move "a very intentional retaliation."

Despite the backlash, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner defended Verstappen, explaining the driver was upset after Charles Leclerc had earlier made contact with him on the straight. Horner confirmed Verstappen apologized to the team post-race.

"Our tyre choice to 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," Verstappen said.

"Look, he was obviously upset because, first of all, he's had Leclerc take a swipe at him on the straight," Horner said.

Verstappen finished 10th at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but the penalty and points have put his future race eligibility under scrutiny as the season progresses.
Sources: Motorsport
Red Bull's Christian Horner defended Max Verstappen after the Spanish GP crash, confirming the driver apologized for the incident. Verstappen received a 10-second penalty and three license points for colliding with George Russell, which Verstappen called 'not right' and 'shouldn't have happened.'
Section 1 background
Our tyre choice to 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.
Max Verstappen
1
It's something that I've seen numerous times in sim racing and on iRacing. Never have I seen it in a Formula 1 race.
George Russell
Motorsport
It looked like a very intentional retaliation.
2016 Former World Champion
Motorsport
Look, he was obviously upset because, first of all, he's had Leclerc take a swipe at him on the straight.
Christian Horner
Red Bull team principal
Motorsport
Verstappen had apologised to the team after the race.
Christian Horner
Red Bull team principal
1
Key Facts
  • Max Verstappen caused a collision with George Russell at the F1 Spanish GP, resulting in a 10-second penalty and three penalty points on Verstappen's license, putting him close to a race ban.2Motorsport
  • Verstappen admitted the move was 'not right' and 'shouldn't have happened', attributing it to frustration caused by tyre choices and actions after the safety car restart.1
  • George Russell described the collision as 'very deliberate' and unprecedented in Formula 1 racing, comparing it to incidents seen only in sim racing and iRacing.Motorsport
  • A former world champion criticized Verstappen's move as intentional retaliation and suggested he should have been disqualified from the race.Motorsport
  • Christian Horner defended Verstappen, citing prior contact from Charles Leclerc and confirmed that Verstappen apologized to the team after the race.Motorsport2
Key Stats at a Glance
Race finishing position of Max Verstappen
10th
Motorsport
Time penalty given to Max Verstappen
10 seconds
Motorsport
Penalty points added to Max Verstappen's license
3 points
Motorsport

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