George Russell was content to put the matter of his Spanish Grand Prix collision with Max Verstappen to rest as the championship continues in Canada this weekend.
Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty plus three penalty points on his licence for the collision between the pair at turn five in the latter stages of the race. It has left the Red Bull driver one point away from incurring an automatic ban.Following the race Russell accused his rival of deliberately causing the contact after slowing to allow him to catch up. However ahead of this weekend’s race Russell said he had “no issues” over the incident.
“Obviously, it would have been a different feeling had it taken me out of the race,” he told the official F1 channel, “but ultimately, I benefited from it, and he was penalised.”
The day after the race Verstappen said he had been affected by “frustration” in the final laps following a Safety Car restart. “Our tyre choice to the end and some moves after the Safety Car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened,” he said.
“I was a bit surprised to see he’d taken sort-of-responsibility, so fine,” said Russell. “But I haven’t spoken to him about it.”
He revealed the pair had spoken in the days after the race but said their collision at the previous round slipped his mind.
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“We actually bumped into each other at the airport the other day, but I actually completely forgot we crashed into each other a few days prior, so no issues.”
Russell took pole position for this race last year and is hoping for a repeat at a track where cooler conditions are likely to play to Mercedes’ strengths. “The car was working really, really well,” he said. “I hope that that continues this weekend, but there’ll be no guarantees.”
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2025 Spanish Grand Prix
- Russell’s radio comments influenced Red Bull’s decision to let him past Verstappen
- Verstappen says he won’t make any changes to his driving to avoid a ban
- ‘No issues’ with Verstappen but ‘it’d be different if he’d taken me out’ – Russell
- Ferrari “don’t want us to talk much” about “massive” Spanish GP problems – Hamilton
- Verstappen versus Russell is Formula 1’s best grudge match for years
FlyingD
13th June 2025, 0:00
You’re surprised he took responsibility?
I guess he could have been a backstabber and complained to the marshals that you were going to slow.
FlyingD
13th June 2025, 0:48
That should be too with 2 o’s as in “too slow”
Dex
13th June 2025, 1:25
What are the odds that he was a tattletale at school?
Mayrton
13th June 2025, 8:42
That’s refreshing to hear and makes the media look rather silly at the same time. Win-win
tielemst
13th June 2025, 11:10
Who’s fault this time and were penalty points given?
osnola
13th June 2025, 12:36
As i understand max was folding the buggy so George was the guilty one ( again ;)
tielemst
13th June 2025, 14:00
Surely a brake test from Max then? :)
Mayrton
14th June 2025, 12:50
Hahaha, good one!