At the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen acknowledged that his collision with George Russell was “not right.” Red Bull’s interactions with FIA race control before the incident raised questions about their influence on the trigger point. Verstappen was instructed to give back his position after taking an escape road and rejoining ahead of Russell. Red Bull claimed they received no response from race control when seeking guidance on this issue.
The stewards handed Verstappen a penalty for the collision, but they clarified that no action would have been taken if he had simply rejoined ahead of Russell. Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, defended their decision, citing the challenge of making calls without clear guidance from officials. The incident highlighted the difficulties teams face in interpreting rules and anticipating stewards’ decisions in real-time situations.
