George Russell said he was surprised when Max Verstappen admitted their clash at the 2025 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix “wasn’t right”, branding it “quite unlike him”.
The two drivers made contact in Barcelona when the British driver attempted to overtake Verstappen into Turn 1 during the closing stages of the race.
Verstappen went wide but held his position, but Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase instructed Verstappen to give the place back, which enraged the reigning World Champion.
He momentarily braked to let Russell through before slamming into the side of the Mercedes.
Since then, Verstappen apologised for his actions, stating via his Instagram that the tyre choice and moves made against him “fuelled” his frustration, which led to “a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened.”
Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, George Russell spoke openly about his surprise at Verstappen’s rare apology for their recent collision.
“I was a bit surprised to see him taking responsibility because it was quite unlike him,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“We actually bumped into each other at the airport a few days ago, but we didn’t even chat about it.
“He was there with his family and his newborn, chatting about how that was going.
“He was busy folding the pram and trying to get it through the security scanner.
“So, look, there’s nothing from my side I need to talk about.
“Had I been taken out of the race, I’d be feeling very differently for sure, but ultimately his actions benefitted me, cost him, and I should say thanks.”
Russell hopes Verstappen’s move wasn’t deliberate
Drawing comparisons to the infamous 1997 Jerez clash between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve, which resulted in Schumacher’s disqualification from the championship -Russell was then asked if he was surprised to see Verstappen still competing this weekend.
He replied by expressing hope that Verstappen’s move was not deliberate.
“I want to believe that he didn’t intentionally try to crash into me, because that would be pretty bonkers,” he explained.
“I think he just tried to show who was boss and put his elbows out and just got it wrong.
“So, yeah, I think anything more of a penalty than what he received, I do think would have been a bit much, but it all depends if it was intentional or not ultimately.”
Verstappen is now just one point away from a race ban, after his latest entanglement on track bumped him up to 11 points on his FIA Super Licence.
He will have to avoid trouble this weekend and next time out in Austria to avoid further punishment.
When asked if he thought Verstappen would change his racing approach in the coming rounds, Russell quipped: “Knowing him as I do, he’ll probably drive even more aggressively so he can have a weekend off at home. So, yeah, let’s hope so.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen makes U-turn on F1 Spanish GP collision with George Russell
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