Verstappen apologises to Red Bull for botched weekend

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Max Verstappen displayed humility and maturity in the aftermath of a disastrous Monaco Grand Prix weekend for the young driver, apologising to Red Bull Racing for his costly mistakes.

Verstappen was an early casualty in qualifying on Saturday when he clipped the guard rail and crashed at the Swimming Pool complex.

The subsequent pit lane start on Sunday meant that the Red Bull driver was faced with a huge task in the race, and one which ended again in the guard rail at Massenet on lap 34.

But the sensational Barcelona victor was quick to own up to his mistakes in the Principality, and offered his apologies to his crew.

"In the end I have to apologise to the team because they worked really hard to get the car prepared, it shouldn't have happened and I didn't give them the result they deserved, and I'm very sorry for that," Max said.

"I'm just disappointed in myself because this shouldn't happen."

Up until his mistake and exit, Verstappen had enjoyed a good run up the field, reaching the top 10 at the race's half-way mark.

"Up until the crash I was feeling good. I had good pace, especially on the intermediates once I had some clear air, I did some overtaking, so it was all pretty good.

"But unfortunately on this track, especially in the half [wet]-half [dry] conditions, if you lock up a bit and go a bit off-line, it's very easy to go off track, and that's what happened.

"I locked up, went off-line, it was still wet on the outside, and from there on I was just a passenger. I hit the wall pretty hard and I hurt my knee a bit."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.