Red Bull Insider Admits Max Verstappen Error Behind Crash with Russell

Newsweek

2 days ago

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Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has opened up on the highly controversial incident involving Max Verstappen and George Russell in the final laps of the Spanish Grand Prix. Describing the error, Marko said the crash was a result of "misjudgment" by Verstappen.
The four-time world champion chased the two McLarens in P3, but switching to hard tires during a late safety car proved to be a disastrous decision. Verstappen struggled for traction after the safety car restart, which caused Charles Leclerc to pass him at Turn 1.
George Russell took advantage of the situation as well, but sensing a crash, Verstappen took the exit road in the run-off area at the same corner and rejoined the track behind Leclerc and in front of Russell. Anticipating a penalty, Red Bull asked him to hand over P4 to Russell, which made Verstappen furious, but he gave up the position eventually.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.However, Verstappen made contact with Russell's Mercedes soon after, for which he received a ten-second penalty and three points on his Super License from the FIA stewards. The penalty meant the Dutchman finished the race in P10. Fortunately, there was only minor damage to both cars, and Russell was able to cross the finish line in fourth.
While Verstappen admitted on Instagram that his actions were a result of frustration, Marko has revealed his thoughts on the crash. Speaking to Servus TV, as quoted by ESPN, he said:
"Max then suddenly accelerated again and then all hell broke loose. That was a serious misjudgment.
"He was already at odds with Russell. With incidents and bad decisions, emotions have run high.
"Sleeping on it certainly helped. Everyone goes their own way. When Max is in that mood, it's better to leave him alone."
He added:
"The punishment is appropriate. It won't happen that he behaves badly in Canada and then doesn't start in Austria. He's a racer who knows his limits."
Addressing the race weekend in Barcelona and the RB21's performance, Marko said:
"The whole weekend was sobering for us. Basically, we were three tenths behind with a car that was too slow. We thought we were on a par. We saw again that McLaren is vastly superior.
"We hope that our car will be competitive again in Canada. At the moment, Max Verstappen does not have a car with which he can become world champion.
"But only he can cope with it at all at the moment. If everything fits, we'll be just as fast as McLaren.
"But that's only every third or fourth race. McLaren is always there. We're not giving up yet, but it's going to be difficult."