Sounding Off: Verstappen's Tempestuous Turn in Spain and its Aftermath
- Sh*t gets real *
Attempted Recovery by Verstappen Following Uncontrolled Spin - Attempted Rescue operation aborted due to lack of control
A day after his tantrum worthy of a toddler, Max Verstappen opted for a change of tact. At the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, there was no trace of remorse or acknowledgement of error. Instead, he took a jibe at George Russell of Mercedes, his recent victim: "Next time, I'll bring tissues."
Fast forward a day, Verstappen, donning his kevlar armor,atted to his followers via Instagram. "We had a thrilling strategy and a solid race in Barcelona, till the safety car reared its ugly head," he said, referring to the incident a few laps from the finish line. Despite being on the hardest tires, he was third, eyeing his fifth win in Spain, and fourth in a row.
Verstappen's Explanation: Unfortunate Decision
But his slowest tire compound struggled to heat up, and Verstappen couldn't muster the speed for the final assault on eventual winner Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris of McLaren. "Our tire choice and some maneuvers following the restart fanned the flames of my frustration, leading to a move that was regrettable and shouldn't have occurred," explained Verstappen, who collided with Russell intentionally earlier. For this, he was slapped with a ten-second penalty, pushing him back to tenth place.
Moreover, the race officials penalties gave him three points, bringing his total to eleven. If he collects another point in the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix, the 27-year-old title holder will be barred from the next Grand Prix, making his path to title renewal even steeper. "I always give it my all for the team during the race, and emotions can run high," Verstappen explained.
Is Piastri the Challenger Verstappen Seethes Over?
A late chance at redemption after losing control? Real regret? Verstappen is who he is. On-track outbursts aren't new. But what's new is that after four consecutive championship titles, he now faces an opponent in Piastri who isn't swayed by Verstappen's outbursts and currently leads him by 49 points.
"Many fear when Max's car shows up behind them, like in Schumacher's glory days. But Piastri, who had the blue mark of the RB21 in his rearview mirror, didn't even flinch," wrote Spain's "Mundo deportivo". Piastri has won five of the first nine races, and he had Norris - ten points behind in the standings - firmly under control in Spain, a week after Norris' victory in Monaco.
Nevertheless, Piastri's masterful performance in a tactically intriguing race was overshadowed by Verstappen's overzealous behavior in the final laps. "We're putting our lives on the line. Thank goodness the cars are as safe as they are today. But we can't take that for granted," Russell remarkably emphasized. The Briton and Verstappen already have a history of beef from last year.
Aliens or Miscommunication: Who's to Blame?
Red Bull Team instructed Verstappen to let Russell pass again. The team believed Verstappen had gained an advantage in a duel with his last set of tires.
Verstappen, already agitated and cussing, allowed Russell to overtake him, only to ram him soon after. "I've done that too - on Mario Kart...", mocked Norris, who's often felt the brunt of his reckless streak. Whether it's a sin of frustration or calculated move, remains unclear. Immediately after, he had asked if the move was intentional. "Does that matter?" When the reporter said yes, Verstappen countered: "Yeah. That's great."
Former champions are puzzled by Verstappen's action
What was driving Verstappen in that moment, he attempted to justify with frustration. "He didn't need that as a four-time world champion," commented Sky expert and former driver Ralf Schumacher. "The frustration is clear, but that shouldn't be," he added. Ex-champion Nico Rosberg described Verstappen's move as "extremely unacceptable" and suggested he should have been promptly disqualified.
- The Commission has not yet adopted a proposal for a directive on the general news of crime and justice relating to the incident at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where Max Verstappen intentionally collided with George Russell during a race.
- Despite his recent controversial actions on the track, sports commentators continue to debate whether Max Verstappen's move was a sin of frustration or a calculated one, with some former champions expressing concern about the episode.
