Verstappen slammed for ‘serious misjudgment’ in Spanish Grand Prix incident
Helmut Marko Calls Verstappen’s Spanish GP Collision a "Serious Misjudgment"
Barcelona, Spain — Red Bull's motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, has labeled Max Verstappen’s collision with George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix as a "serious misjudgment," but expressed confidence that the reigning world champion can stay out of further trouble and avoid a race ban.
The Incident and Its Consequences
The incident took place after Verstappen, who appeared frustrated with how his race was unfolding, made contact with Russell’s Mercedes after receiving instructions from the Red Bull pit wall to cede position. The controversial move earned Verstappen a 10-second time penalty, demoting him to 10th in the final classification, and resulted in an additional three penalty points on his superlicence.
This brings Verstappen’s tally to 11 penalty points, just one shy of the 12 required for an automatic race ban within a 12-month period. Despite the precarious situation, Marko remains optimistic that Verstappen can regain control of his emotions in the cockpit.
Marko’s Assessment of the Collision
Marko, one of Verstappen’s closest allies at Red Bull, admitted the Dutchman’s mishap was the result of a lapse in judgment. "Max then suddenly accelerated again, and then all hell broke loose," Marko told Servus TV. "That was a serious misjudgment. He was already at odds with Russell. With incidents and bad decisions, emotions have run high."
Verstappen, for his part, sidestepped the media post-race, but acknowledged the mistake in a statement shared on social media Monday: "The move was not right and shouldn’t have happened."
A Time to Reflect
Marko indicated that the aftermath of the incident required time to process. "Sleeping on it certainly helped. Everyone goes their own way," Marko explained. "When Max is in that mood, it’s better to leave him alone."
As the title race heats up, Verstappen’s penalty points are a growing concern. Another incident in Canada or Austria could potentially sideline the Dutch driver for a race. However, Marko believes Verstappen can reign in his frustrations. "The punishment is appropriate," he said. "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."
A Sobering Weekend for Red Bull
Beyond Verstappen’s misstep, the Spanish Grand Prix was a sobering weekend for Red Bull. McLaren’s superior pace left the team three-tenths of a second adrift, a gap Marko admitted was unexpected.
"The whole weekend was sobering for us," Marko said. "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."
Looking Ahead to Canada
Marko is hopeful the team can bounce back at the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix. "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."
With penalties mounting and the Red Bull car currently struggling to match McLaren’s pace, the path to another championship for Verstappen appears far from guaranteed. All eyes will turn to Canada to see if Red Bull can close the gap—and if Verstappen can avoid further controversy.
Up Next
