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Max Verstappen and Red Bull were in turmoil at the Spanish GP. The Dutch driver found himself in trouble during the Safety Car restart. Ultimately, the 27-year-old made a controversial move on George Russell, hampering his own race. Now, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has claimed that Verstappen might have a different reason behind the incident.
During the Safety Car restart, Max Verstappen was struggling for grip on a set of hard tires. The Red Bull star went off-track as he defended his position against George Russell. Verstappen was instructed to give the position back to the Mercedes. However, the reigning world champion allegedly slammed into Russell while trying to give the position back. Critics such as Nico Rosberg hinted that perhaps the 27-year-old intentionally crashed into the Briton. Though, he has denied such speculation.
Ralf Schumacher took a completely different take on the incident. The former F1 driver was intrigued to see such a bizarre crash take place right before the timeframe for Max Verstappen’s exit clause. The Dutchman is believed to have the right to leave Red Bull by activating the clause in the summer break based on certain performance targets. Schumacher wondered that the clause might be the reason for Verstappen’s peculiar move on Russell, that ended up with a ten-second penalty, dropping him down to tenth place.
You have to pay attention to what happened. Since there is a clause in your contract, why do things like this happen all of a sudden? Why did he take such a useless penalty.
Ralf Schumacher told Sky Germany
Ralf Schumacher reveals potential reason behind Max Verstappen’s crash
Max Verstappen is currently contracted to Red Bull Racing till the end of 2028. This has not stopped the rumor mill from speculating over the Dutchman’s future. Initially, an alleged $1 billion offer from Aston Martin shook the paddock. Though, the British team rejected such claims. Moreover, even Mercedes is believed to be interested in finally signing the reigning world champion. All this while, Verstappen has remained tight-lipped over his future, ensuring that he does not add fuel to fire.
Though, in Formula 1, being silent does not stop rumors. Rather, sometimes drivers just wait for the rumors to flow themselves without intervening. Ralf Schumacher reckoned that perhaps Max Verstappen has already made his mind over his future, potentially signing with a new team. Now, to ensure that he does get the chance to activate the clause and leave Milton Keynes, Verstappen might’ve deliberately tried to ruin his own race in Barcelona. Schumacher further asserted that the Austrian team was now in a critical phase over the Dutchman’s tenure.
It could also be that he has made a decision and is trying to ensure that it is successful. We are in a critical phase.
Ralf Schumacher added
Ralf Schumacher’s comments are polarizing to say the least. Max Verstappen is one of the most hard-fought racers on the grid, someone who is ready to push for every tenth of a second. It seems surprising to even consider that the Dutchman would try to ruin his own race on purpose. Though, this theory cannot be dismissed just yet. If the reigning world champion does decide to activate the exit clause around the time of the summer break, fans can believe that maybe Schumacher did have a point this time around. Though, the ‘Orange Army’ would hope that Verstappen remains at Milton Keynes at least till the end of his current deal.
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Former Yankees, Mariners prospect hospitalized following motorcycle crash
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Michigan football QB Bryce Underwood skyrockets up CBS Sports' QB rankings
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4 concerning Vikings statistics that must improve after the bye
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