George Russell said he was caught off guard by Max Verstappen’s decision to take blame for their late-race clash in Barcelona.
During the final stages of the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen steered aggressively into the side of Russell’s Mercedes, a move that pushed the reigning world champion to the brink of a one-race suspension. Immediately after the incident, Verstappen showed little regret, remarking sarcastically that he would “bring some tissues” if Russell wasn’t happy with what happened on track.
But the tone changed less than 24 hours later. In a post on social media, Verstappen acknowledged, “It wasn’t right” and said the collision “shouldn’t have happened.”
For Russell, who once described Verstappen as a “bully” that few in Formula One challenge, the apology was uncharacteristic.
“I was a bit surprised to see him taking responsibility, because it’s quite unlike him,” Russell said during Thursday’s media session ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver also shared that the two did bump into each other informally at an airport recently.
“We actually bumped into each other at the airport a few days ago, but we didn’t even chat about it. He was there with his family and his newborn, chatting about how that was going. He was busy folding the pram and trying to get it through the security scanner.
“So, look, there’s nothing from my side I need to talk about. Had I been taken out of the race, I’d be feeling very differently for sure. Ultimately, his actions benefitted me, cost him, and I should say thanks.”
Verstappen spoke again about the incident on Thursday, explaining the post was his way of reflecting.
“[The post was] sharing my view of things, how I thought that race panned out. Not ideal for me, but that was my statement. And then I went back to enjoying my day,” he said.
He admitted the move in Barcelona was “a misjudgment,” and added, “You don’t need to go into full detail of why, how and what. Everyone makes mistakes in life. Everyone learns from them and we just move on.”
Looking ahead, Verstappen confirmed he intends to keep his driving style unchanged, even though any minor infractions at the next two events could lead to a race ban.
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