Max Verstappen admits George Russell contact ‘shouldn’t have happened’ in Spanish GP as Dutch driver nears race ban threshold

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has admitted that contact with George Russell in the Spanish Grand Prix “was not right and shouldn't have happened” – as Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner urged his lead driver to “keep his nose clean” in upcoming races, with the four-time champion now one penalty point away from an automatic race ban.

Verstappen picked up three penalty points in Barcelona after a late collision with George Russell’s Mercedes.

That moves the Dutchman to 11 penalty points – one point away from a ban. The points accrue across a rolling 12-month period, with none coming off Verstappen’s tally until the end of June. Before that date, Verstappen must negotiate both the Canadian Grand Prix and Red Bull’s home race in Austria.

Verstappen was handed the three penalty points for the crash with Russell late on in the Grand Prix on Sunday, after a chaotic restart saw contact between the Red Bull and both Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and then Russell’s Mercedes.

2025 Spanish Grand Prix: The full story of the dramatic collision between Verstappen and Russell

A Safety Car had been called after Kimi Antonelli parked up in a gravel trap following a power unit issue. While Verstappen was fitted with hard tyres for the restart, those around him had softs – and thus the Dutchman was at an immediate disadvantage.

He was lying third behind the two McLarens but lost a place to Leclerc along the straight, with the two banging wheels in an incident that the stewards decided required no further action. Russell then dived down the inside into Turn 1, making contact with Verstappen which sent the Red Bull driver onto the escape road.

While he emerged ahead of Russell, the team ordered him to give the place back – and it was in this moment the second contact was made. The stewards decided Verstappen was to blame, handing him a 10-second time penalty and those three penalty points on his super licence.

Writing on Instagram after the race, Verstappen said: “We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, [until] the Safety Car came out. Our tyre choice at 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.

“I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal.”

Team boss Horner, meanwhile, was asked how concerned he was at the prospect of losing Verstappen from his line-up for a race should he pass the 12-point threshold.

“You can never guarantee anything,” said Horner. “He's just got to keep his nose clean in the next couple of races. Then the first points come off at the end of June.”

Verstappen is due to drop two points from his licence on June 30, those earned for a collision with Lando Norris at last year’s Austrian Grand Prix.

That would take him back to nine points – buying him some breathing room, although the next points will not be removed from his licence until the end of October.

2024 Austrian Grand Prix: High drama as Norris and Verstappen collide after titanic battle for the lead

Last season saw Kevin Magnussen banned for one race after accruing 12 penalty points, the Dane sitting out the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Haas, with the team running Oliver Bearman in his place.

Should Verstappen hypothetically fall foul of a one-race ban, Red Bull could choose to promote one of their two Racing Bulls drivers in Liam Lawson or Isack Hadjar, or run a driver from their pool of talent such as Ayumu Iwasa or Arvid Lindblad.

HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the Spanish GP as Piastri wins while Verstappen and Russell collide