George Russell: Controversial Max Verstappen clash "felt deliberate"

George Russell has labelled his clash with Max Verstappen at the 2025 F1 Spanish Grand Prix as “unnecessary”, adding that the reigning world champion had once again “let himself down”.

Russell and Verstappen had two high-profile incidents at the end of the race after the Safety Car.

Verstappen was vulnerable at the end of the race after Red Bull put him on hard tyres.

The Dutchman lost out to Charles Leclerc and then was forced wide by George Russell at Turn 1.

Verstappen held the position over Russell after running across the run-off but was ordered by Red Bull to give the place back.

In frustration, as he lifted, Verstappen ran into Russell’s path.

Verstappen was hit with a 10-second time penalty, dropping him from fifth to 10th.

2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg called for Verstappen to be disqualified after “horrible” driving against Russell.

Giving his perspective, Russell told Sky Sports: “I mean I was as surprised as you guys probably were. I’ve seen those sorts of manoeuvres before on simulator games and in go-karting but never in Formula 1.

“Ultimately, we came home in P4 and he came home in P10. I don’t really know what was going through his mind. It felt deliberate in the moment. It was a bit surprising.”

Russell was then asked if Verstappen’s penalty should have been more severe.

“It’s not really my place to say to be honest,” Russell added. “Right now, I am not going to give it any thought because we’ve got our own problems to do well which is to try and make our car faster. We were destined to finish P4 today, probably ahead of Charles and  behind Max.

“Obviously, the Safety Car at the end shuffled things up. It’s down to the stewards to decide if it was deliberate or not.Max is such an amazing driver and so many people look up to him. It’s just a shame something like that continues to occur. It’s totally unnecessary and never seems to benefit himself.”

George Russell: Max Verstappen “lets himself down a bit”

Ahead of this weekend, Verstappen was still in title contention despite Red Bull’s inconsistent form.

The four-time world champion delivered a masterclass at Imola, pulling off a stunning move on Oscar Piastri on the opening lap.

Verstappen’s overtake earned praise from Russell, who described it as one of the best moves he’s seen in F1.

Russell conceded that it’s a shame to see Verstappen vent his frustration on track when he can deliver world class moments.

“I am too close to give my opinion on behalf of the drivers,” Russell explained.

“Like in Austin last year, some of the best moves ever and you go to Mexico, then he lets himself down a bit.

“You go to Imola, one of the best moves we’ve all seen in a long time and then this happens. As I said, it costs him and his team a lot of points. Charles and I actually dropped off like a stone in those last few laps. He probably could have come back to fight for the podium.

“As I say, I am not going to lose sleep. We’ve got our own problems to deal with which is making our own car go faster.”