With three rounds left in the 2025 Formula 1 season, Max Verstappen has opened up about a defining moment he believes was his biggest mistake this year – his fiery clash with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, a weekend he now describes as the low point of his campaign.
The Dutchman, now 49 points adrift of championship leader Lando Norris after last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, knows a fifth consecutive title is slipping out of reach.
But in reflecting on what derailed his fight, Verstappen said Red Bull’s mid-season slump hurt more than anything. That, however, didn’t stop him from pointing to one personal error that has stuck with him.
The drama unfolded late in the Barcelona race when Verstappen, defending his position, ran wide at Turn 1, claiming Russell forced him off-track.
Ordered by Red Bull to cede the position, Verstappen appeared to briefly comply with the directive at Turn 5 but immediately lunged back, banging wheels with Russell in a move deemed deliberate by stewards.
The incident earned Verstappen three penalty points, bringing his 12-month total to 11—one shy of a race ban.
Speaking to Dutch broadcaster, Verstappen admitted the Russell collision was rooted in a bout of frustration and a refusal to settle for less during a period when the RB21 simply wasn’t performing.
“The only point of criticism is obviously Barcelona,” he recounted. “That move itself - and the entire incident - was not good, but that’s also because I care a lot. I could have thought, ‘this car isn’t working anyway, so I let it go.’”
But expecting himself to drive at anything less than maximum effort is non-negotiable.
“I can’t accept - towards myself - stepping out of the car and knowing that I didn’t give everything. Then I get angry with myself, so I can’t drive at 80%.”
The frustration boiled over after Red Bull’s call to fit the hard tyres – a strategic gamble that didn’t pay off – and a later instruction to hand back the position to Russell, which the team later admitted was incorrect.
“When I get out of the car, I always need to be able to tell to myself, ‘I did everything I could.’ That’s why I was so angry in Barcelona - first with what happened on the straight at the restart, then into Turn 1, and then of course when I was told to give the position back. That’s when all signs went red.”
Despite the blow-up, Verstappen says the incident has stayed with him for good reason.
“That was a mistake from my side, and of course I learn from it,” he said.
“Those moments won’t happen again next year, even if we’re in a similar situation with the car. These are the small things you learn from, but overall, in terms of performance, the season was absolutely good.”
And while the standings show Red Bull on the back foot, the 27-year-old insists he has no regrets about how he has driven.
“Every season you try to look back and think ‘where did I leave something on the table’ or ‘where could I have been a bit more consistent?’ But with the material I had, I think I’ve maximised a lot throughout the season,” Verstappen said.
“That’s a positive. From the outside, it’s sometimes hard to judge these things based on how competitive a car is, but I’m happy with my season.”
Verstappen may not be leaving 2025 with another title – but he leaves with clarity, self-awareness, and lessons that will make him even sharper when the next chapter begins.
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