Scandal in Formula 1! New FIA tests stir the controversy between Verstappen and Russell in the Spain GP 2025
The 2025 Grand Prix has left a wake of controversy that continues to talk about Formula 1. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has revealed new evidence that sheds light on the maneuver of Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver, which resulted in a penalty of 10 seconds after a clash with George Russell de Mercedes. This incident, accompanied by a tense radio conversation, has lit social networks and promises to keep the paddock in suspense for the next Canada Grand Prix. What really happened in the Barcelona-Cataluña circuit? Here we tell you.
A clash that unleashed the storm
The GP of Spain, held on June 1, 2025, witnessed a moment of high voltage in Tour 64. Verstappen, tetracampeón of the world, was in a battle fierce by the position after a Safety Car late. With hard tires and a risky strategy of three stops, the Dutch struggled to stay in the Top 5. However, a rubb with Russell in curve 1, where Mercedes’s pilot forced him to use the escape, unleashed the fury of Verstappen.
When Red Bull ordered Russell to return the position to avoid a sanction, Verstappen seemed to yield, but in curve 5 suddenly accelerated and collided with Mercedes’s car. The commissioners did not hesitate: penalty of 10 seconds and three points in their superlicnce, leaving the pilot with 11 of the 12 points allowed in a year. One more point, and Verstappen will face a suspension, an unprecedented fact for a reigning champion.
New FIA tests: was it intentional?
The FIA has recently published telemetry and on -board videos confirming the abruptness of Verstappen’s maneuver. The data show that the pilot significantly reduced his speed before curve 5, giving the impression that he would give the position, but accelerated abruptly at the time Russell tried to advance it. This movement, described as “dangerous” by the commissioners, has been described by some, such as the former Nico Rosberg, as a deliberate action. “He stopped and rammed it. It is an intentional retaliation,” Rosberg said in Sky Sports F1.
The radio conversation between Verstappen and its engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, has also added firewood to the fire. “Why should I return the position? He took me out of the track!” He exclaimed a frustrated Verstappen, making clear his disagreement with the team’s strategy. This communication, filtered and widely shared in social networks, has generated a debate on whether the Dutch acted by impulse or with premeditation.
Reactions and consequences: a Verstappen to the limit
The incident not only cost Verstappen a possible top 5, but relegated it to the tenth place, adding just a point in a race dominated by McLaren (Piastri and Norris). George Russell, meanwhile, did not spare in criticism: “I don’t know if it was a battle, it was rather a destruction career,” said the British, who finished fourth. The tensions between both pilots, already marked by previous clashes in Azerbaijan 2023 and Qatar 2024, have reached a new peak.
Verstappen, in an attempt to calm the waters, published a message on Instagram admitting his mistake: “The maneuver was not correct and should not have occurred. Emotions sometimes take over me.” However, its recent history of sanctions (Mexico 2024, Abu Dhabi 2024) puts it in a delicate position. With 11 points in their superlicance, the next races in Canada and Austria will be crucial. One more sanction could leave Red Bull without its star in the Austrian GP, something that the team already contemplates with the possible replacement of Isack Hadjar.
What does this mean for Formula 1?
This incident not only affects Verstappen, but to question the consistency of the sanctions of the FIA. While some, like Rosberg, consider that the penalty was indulgent, others believe that the pressure on Verstappen could alter their focus on the track. With McLaren leading the Constructors Championship (362 points compared to 144 of Red Bull) and Piastri at 49 Verstappen points in the pilot championship, the Dutch faces a monumental challenge to achieve a fifth consecutive title.
Formula 1 is prepared for Canada
As the formula 1 circus moves to Montreal, the eyes will be put in Verstappen. Can you control your temperament and avoid a sanction that would make history? The rivalry with Russell, the McLaren pressure and the strategic decisions of Red Bull promise an electrifying show. Follow the action on social networks and do not miss the next chapter of this saga on the track.
