Max Verstappen in Red Bull 'Protest' Over Sp...read more

Max Verstappen in Red Bull ‘Protest’ Over Spanish GP Drama

Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen has found himself at the centre of controversy once again, following a dramatic and penalty-laden Spanish Grand Prix. The four-time world champion was instructed by his team to yield fourth place to Mercedes’ George Russell after contact between the pair at the turn-one restart—but the Dutchman made it clear he wasn’t happy about it.

Team advisor Helmut Marko has since confirmed that Verstappen ultimately followed the order—but did so “under protest.”

Red Bull made the call in an effort to avoid a potential penalty from race stewards, as the contact came immediately after a safety car restart. However, Verstappen was audibly frustrated over team radio and soon after seemed to take matters into his own hands—appearing to intentionally collide with Russell while attempting to give the position back.

The incident earned Verstappen a 10-second time penalty, dropping him from fifth to tenth in the final classification. Speaking to Austrian broadcaster Servus TV, Marko defended Verstappen’s initial reaction, claiming:

“On the straight, I’d say Leclerc drove into Max’s car. Then came the situation with Russell, and you have to say, Max knows the regulations in detail. He immediately said, ‘Hey, he was out of control, and that’s why I had to go wide.’”

Marko added that the internal discussion within Red Bull concluded it was a 50-50 incident, and the team opted for damage control by ordering Verstappen to swap places to minimize the risk of a harsher penalty.

Despite begrudgingly following the order, Verstappen’s frustrations boiled over—and his retaliatory move on Russell sparked heavy criticism. 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg went as far as to suggest Verstappen should have been disqualified.

Further complicating matters, the FIA later clarified that Verstappen was not obligated to return the position to Russell, effectively making Red Bull’s cautionary call redundant.

Verstappen’s mood didn’t improve during a fiery post-race interview with Sky Sports F1’s Rachel Brookes. With tensions mounting, the Dutchman will now turn his attention to the next round in Canada, where he trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 49 points.

As Red Bull looks to steady the ship, all eyes will be on Montreal to see whether Verstappen can keep his cool—and mount a comeback.