Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said he questioned the “thought process” of Max Verstappen when he collided with George Russell towards the end of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.
The now-infamous incident on Lap 64 saw Verstappen and the Mercedes driver come together at Turn 5, having been requested by the team to concede fourth place to the Brit for fear of receiving a time penalty.
Verstappen was then given a 10-second penalty for the clash and three additional penalty points on his licence, which puts him just one away from a race ban.
On Monday, the Dutchman issued a statement showing contrition for the incident, saying the clash with Russell “should not have happened,” an apparent U-turn from his immediate post-race reaction, in which he seemed nonplussed.
Despite his outspoken nature, Marko is often a fierce protector and defender of Verstappen, but speaking to Austrian station ServusTV, he conveyed his negativity towards the reigning World Champion’s actions.
“On the straight, I’d say Leclerc drove into Max’s car,” Marko said in his summary of the chain of events leading to the incident. “Then came the situation with Russell [when he and Verstappen got close at Turn 1]. And you have to say, Max knows the regulations in detail. He immediately said, ‘Hey, he was out of control, and that’s why I had to go wide.’
“The internal discussion was that it was 50-50. And since it happened right after the safety car period, the impact of a 10-second penalty is much greater than if it happens mid-race.
“So, that was one thing. Max didn’t want to give the position back. But he was instructed to do so – he did it under protest.”
Marko added: “Max lifted off the throttle, so we all assumed he was letting Russell through. And then suddenly he accelerated again.
“I don’t know what kind of misjudgment or thought process was going on inside him. And then, as they say, all hell broke loose.”
Emotions ‘got the better’ of Verstappen, says Marko
Marko was quick to point out that he and Russell have mutually shared contention before, the pair having a heated and public difference of opinion at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix.
“There have already been issues in the past,” Marko said. “It was unnecessary, and a lot of points lost.
“But, because of all the incidents and wrong decisions that unfortunately happened, emotions simply got the better of him.”
Marko revealed that the team opted not to have a usual post-race debrief, instead choosing to allow Verstappen to cool off.
“Everyone goes their own way. And when Max is in a mood like that, the best thing is to leave him alone.”
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