F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Verstappen apologises to Red Bull for botched weekend

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."

Driver ratings - Monaco Grand Prix

RACE REPORT: Hamilton beats Ricciardo in thrilling Monaco GP

Technical feature: What will the 2017 F1 cars look like?

Daniil Kvyat exclusive: Time to think about life after Red Bull

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

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.

Recent Posts

Chinese GP: Russell prevails in lively Shanghai Sprint

George Russell extended his impressive start to the 2026 season by claiming victory in the…

20 mins ago

Chinese Grand Prix - Sprint Race results

Full results from the Sprint race for the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai, round 2…

22 mins ago

Formula 1 set to confirm Bahrain and Jeddah cancellations

Formula 1 is now believed to be on the brink of confirming the cancellation of…

10 hours ago

Chinese GP: Friday's action in pictures

F1 fans on Shanghai witnessed another commanding performance from Mercedes in Friday’s Sprint qualifying, with…

13 hours ago

Wolff reveals where Mercedes is beating its rivals in Shanghai

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff made no effort to hide his satisfaction after Sprint qualifying…

14 hours ago

Leclerc rages at Ferrari power loss in Shanghai Sprint qualifying

Charles Leclerc did not hide his anger after sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix,…

17 hours ago