Horner Clarifies Verstappen-Russell Incident, Reveals Driver Apology After Spanish GP

Following a frustrating conclusion to the Spanish Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has shed light on the late-race incident between Max Verstappen and George Russell, revealing that the reigning world champion apologized for the contact during the team debrief. Verstappen’s race in Barcelona was shaped by an ambitious three-stop strategy aimed at challenging for victory. The plan seemed promising until a safety car period emerged late in the race. According to Horner, the timing of the safety car was detrimental, effectively negating the advantage of their tyre strategy and closing the field up. Exiting the pit lane behind the safety car, Verstappen experienced significant oversteer, losing momentum as the field bunched up. This setback saw him drop positions, ultimately conceding third place to Charles Leclerc. In the final laps, Verstappen became embroiled in a battle with Mercedes driver George Russell. Red Bull instructed Verstappen to yield a position to Russell following an earlier scrap. As Verstappen slowed to allow Russell past at Turn 5, there was contact between the two cars, leading to the stewards subsequently handing Verstappen a ten-second time penalty for causing a collision. Verstappen eventually let Russell through cleanly at Turn 11. Commenting on the weekend via social media, Christian Horner expressed his team's frustration, feeling they deserved more from the race. He maintained that the three-stop strategy was the correct tactical approach and that only the ill-timed safety car prevented Verstappen from potentially challenging Lando Norris further up the road. Horner described the resulting penalty and dropped points as particularly frustrating given the potential for an easy podium finish. Crucially, Horner confirmed that Verstappen took responsibility for the contentious Turn 5 moment. "Max apologised in the debrief for his incident with Russell," Horner stated. Horner also noted that the safety car negatively impacted the race of RB driver Yuki Tsunoda, suggesting he would likely have been in contention for points without the disruption. Despite the setbacks, Horner acknowledged the unpredictable nature of racing and stated the team would focus on set-up improvements ahead of the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.