Russell surprised by Verstappen’s admission after Spanish GP clash

George Russell has admitted he was surprised by Max Verstappen taking responsibility for their controversial collision in Barcelona – but insisted there is no lingering tension between the two F1 drivers ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes and Red Bull rivals came to blows late in the Spanish Grand Prix during a wheel-to-wheel battle after a Safety Car restart. Verstappen went off track at Turn 1 and rejoined ahead of Russell, before backing off at Turn 4 to let the Briton through — only to then make contact with him moments later in the corner.

Verstappen was sanctioned for the incident, receiving a 10-second time penalty that dropped him from fifth to 10th in the final classification. The Dutchman later took to social media, admitting it was “a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened.”

Russell: “No issues” with Max

Speaking to the media in Montreal ahead of this weekend’s event, Russell reflected on the dramatic moment and Verstappen's rare public admission of fault, revealing that he even bumped in to the Dutchman a few days ago at the airport.

"I was a bit surprised to see he had taken responsibility, so fine," said Russell. "But I haven't spoken to him about it.

“We actually bumped into each other at the airport the other day but I actually completely forgot we crashed into each other a few days prior. No issues."

While the clash raised eyebrows, Russell was quick to downplay any suggestion of deliberate foul play by the reigning World Champion, adding that he believed Verstappen had simply been asserting himself in typical fashion.

"Obviously it would have been a different feeling had it taken me out of the race but ultimately I benefitted from it and he was penalised," said the Mercedes driver.

"I think he was just trying to get his elbows out and show who's boss rather than it being anything intentional."

The Rules Are the Rules

The incident also had wider ramifications for Verstappen, who now sits on 11 penalty points on his FIA Super Licence – just one shy of a one-race ban.

The points will start to expire after a rolling 12-month period, but Verstappen must keep a clean sheet in Canada and Austria to avoid a suspension.

Russell said the rules apply equally to all drivers, including the three-time world champion.

• Read also: Russell reveals ‘closer’ bond with Hamilton since Ferrari move

"I think that's how it should be in racing," he explained. "At the end of the day if you take on risky moves and you get it wrong you get penalised and, if you get your points, you'll be banned for a race.

"I'm not going to sit here and say X, Y, Z because it's ultimately not really my problem. It's his problem. I'm looking forward to the weekend and then go from there. That's racing."

As for Verstappen, the Dutchman acknowledged his precarious position but said it would not affect how he approaches the upcoming race weekend.

“There’s nothing I can do about it so we just focus ahead and try to do the best we can every single time,” he said.

“It’s not changing my approach, and I cannot speak for others. If you look at it in general, yeah, missing a race is not ideal but it’s not the end of the world.”

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook