Former world champion takes firm stance over controversial Verstappen-Russell's saga

19:11, 12 Jun

byTobia Elia

The incident between Max Verstappen and George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix sparked significant emotions. In the end, the Dutchman received a ten-second time penalty and three points on his license, dropping him to tenth place. Jacques Villeneuve came to Verstappen’s defense, standing up for him.

Turbulent end to the Spanish Grand Prix left Verstappen frustrated

The story is well-known: due to Antonelli's stall, a safety car was deployed in Spain. Everyone rushed into the pits to change tires. Verstappen rejoined the track alone on fresh hard tires, effectively making him a "sitting duck."

He made contact with Russell twice and was penalized for the second incident. Speaking to a betting site, Villeneuve claimed that it was Russell who deserved the penalty.

Max Verstappen, George Russell pitlane Barcelona

Max Verstappen and George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix of Barcelona

"It was not intentional and it happened in the heat of the moment. He immediately wanted to reclaim his position but completely messed it up. And people immediately said he did it on purpose and that he wanted to crash Russell out."

"The strange thing is: Russell deserved a penalty. He hit Max on the rear wheel going into turn 1. According to the rules, this leads to causing a collision and pushing another driver off the track. Why didn't he get penalized for that? If there are rules, they should always apply to everyone. Russell deserved a penalty."

Because of the penalty, Verstappen managed to score only one point — something he can hardly afford in the fight for the world title. The Dutchman is driving a Red Bull that is currently weaker than the McLaren, and as a result, he has to push to the absolute limit to get a strong result. Villeneuve recognized this and offered an explanation for Verstappen’s actions.

‘’He lost a lot of points due to that penalty. He finished tenth, which is as if he had retired. It only earns him one point. He knows he doesn't have the best car. To still achieve results, he has to drive on the limit, or even beyond it. Much more than other drivers. At some point, this leads to mistakes or misjudgments and makes his fight for the world title much more difficult.’’