P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull explain why they told Max Verstappen to let George Russell through
Red Bull have clarified their decision to instruct Max Verstappen to give way to George Russell during their contentious late duel at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix. After a clash at Turn 1, Verstappen was asked to give up the position, which led to a penalty for not complying.
Team principal Horner mentioned it was a tough call as Verstappen felt he was not given enough room and Russell was not in full control. Horner suggested that it would be preferable for the race director to make such decisions rather than teams having to guess the stewards’ thoughts.
Additionally, Verstappen was switched to hard tires under the late Safety Car, a move that left him frustrated as he had no other fresh tires available. Red Bull’s concern was being left vulnerable on old soft tires against rivals on new ones. In hindsight, Horner admitted they might have been better off leaving Verstappen on his old soft tires in the lead.
