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Red Bull's Max Verstappen creates more controversy at Spanish Grand Prix

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 3:27 PM ET

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen still makes headlines even when he's not winning races.

After ripping the FIA for a rule change at the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend, the 27-year-old Dutch driver stirred up another controversy at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.

With three laps remaining in the 66-lap race, Verstappen was fourth, and Mercedes driver George Russell was fifth. Red Bull told Verstappen to let Russell pass him after they bumped into each other on a safety car restart on lap No. 62.

It appeared Verstappen would do that, but he collided with Russell before flying out of Turn 5. Race stewards gave him a 10-second penalty for the incident, dropping him to 10th.

Drama in the closing stages of the race!

Max Verstappen drops to P10 following a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with George Russell #F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/anhkyJ92pk
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 1, 2025

"I was as surprised as you guys were. I've seen those sort of maneuvers before on simulator games and go-karting but never in F1," Russell said of the incident, via Sky Sports. "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, so it felt surprising."

Sky Sports analyst Nico Rosberg agreed with Russell. Per ESPN's Nate Saunders, the 2016 world champion said Verstappen should've been black-flagged and disqualified for the collision.

Verstappen, however, didn't apologize.

"I'll bring some tissues next time," Verstappen said following the race, via Saunders.

Verstappen should still be more careful. Race stewards gave him three penalty points on his super license. He now has 11 penalty points and will be suspended for one race if he receives another in the next two races in Canada and Austria.

Missing one race would be costly for Verstappen, who's losing ground in the chase for the drivers' championship. After the Spanish Grand Prix, he's third (137 points) behind McLaren's Lando Norris (176) and Norris' teammate, Oscar Piastri (186).

Verstappen could also make enemies with other drivers if he continues to be too aggressive. However, he doesn't seem to care whether he's liked, making him one of the grid's more polarizing racers.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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