The Formula 1 world was shaken last week by a controversial collision between Max Verstappen and George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix of 2025. The general meeting of the FIA, who met shortly after the race, came with an unexpected statement: Verstappen was held fully responsible for what the stewards described with a “sincerely” bonus. This decision, together with Verstappen’s initial response, has caused a lot of commotion in the paddock and among fans.
The collision took place in the final phase of the race, after a restart after a safety car. Russell, driving for Mercedes, tried to overtake Verstappen at bend 1, where light contact took place. Verstappen took the outlet to retain its position, which led to an instruction from his Red Bull team to give back the position to Russell, for fear of a punishment of the FIA. What followed, however, was a shocking moment: in turn 5, Verstappen deliberately seemed to send his car to the right, right in the side of Russells Mercedes. Russell immediately expressed his disbelief about the team radio with an exclamation that attracted attention, partly because he had previously criticized the FIA rules for swearing during broadcasts.
The stewards of the FIA were quickly with their judgment. Verstappen received a time penalty of 10 seconds, which made him fall from fifth to tenth place in the final ranking. In addition, three penalty points were added to his super license, which brought his total to 11 points – only one point away from an automatic suspension for one race. The FIA emphasized that Verstappen “suddenly accelerated” for the collision, an action that, according to Russell, felt “very intentional”. This judgment was supported by new onboard images from Verstappen’s car, who showed that he consciously sent his steering wheel to Russell.
What made the situation even more remarkable was Verstappen’s initial response. Immediately after the race he showed little repentance. When he was asked if the collision was intentional, he answered: “Does that matter?” He went even further by sarcastically suggesting that Russell “needed a tissue” for his complaints. This attitude surprised the FIA, who expected that a four -time world champion would show more responsibility. A day later, however, Verstappen posted a message on social media in which he admitted that his action “was not correct and should not have happened”. This delayed regret was seen by some as an attempt to limit the damage, but it could not fully temper the wave of criticism.
The pronunciation of the FIA and Verstappen’s response have again fueled the discussion about his driving style. Critics, including former world champion Nico Rosberg, called the action “unacceptable” and argued for a stricter punishment, such as disqualification. A survey of Racingnews365, among more than 18,500 fans, showed that 74% thought Verstappen should have got a black flag. On the other hand, some fans defended Verstappen, pointing to the hard ties on his Red Bull, who made it difficult to steer, and on earlier incidents in the race where he felt disadvantaged, such as a collision with Charles Leclerc.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner tried to explain the situation by pointing to the frustrations of Verstappen, which resulted from a strategic error with ties and a lack of communication from the FIA racing management. Horner admitted that the team had made a wrong decision by putting Verstappen on hard tires, which influenced his performance. Nevertheless, the focus remained on Verstappen’s driving behavior, which was compared by many with controversial moments from the past, such as Michael Schumachers collision with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.
With two more races to go before some penalty points fall from his license, Verstappen is under pressure to “keep his nose clean”, as Horner put it. The next race in Canada will be crucial, not only for his title opportunities, but also to show whether he can control his temperament. For Russell, who finished fourth, the collision was a small blemish on a further strong race. The Formula 1 community is now eagerly looking forward to how this rivalry will develop further, while the FIA may revise its rules on deliberate collisions.
