The race in Barcelona ended in drama for Max Verstappen after a late-race clash with Mercedes driver George Russell. With just two laps to go, after a Safety Car restart, the Red Bull driver appeared to deliberately move into Russell’s path at Turn 5, leading to contact between the two cars.

Before the incident, Verstappen had been in a strong position to finish on the podium. However, after the Safety Car came in, he was quickly attacked by both Charles Leclerc and George Russell, who were on soft tyres, while the reigning world champion was on hards. Leclerc, after a slight contact, managed to pass the Dutchman to take third place, while Verstappen had to use the escape road at Turn 2 to avoid hitting Russell.

Red Bull then told Verstappen to let Russell past, believing he may have gained an advantage by going off track. Verstappen, already annoyed about being put on the hard tyres for the final stint, wasn’t happy with this order.

At Turn 4, Verstappen slowed down to let Russell by as instructed. But just moments later, as the pair reached Turn 5, Verstappen suddenly accelerated and moved offline into Russell’s car, sparking outrage from commentators and fans alike. Former world champion Nico Rosberg even said Verstappen should have been disqualified for the move.

After the race, Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty from the stewards, which dropped him from fifth to tenth place. He was also handed three penalty points on his FIA super licence. That brings his total to 11 points, just one short of a race ban, which is triggered at 12. These penalty points stay on a driver’s record for 12 months, and Verstappen’s next set won’t expire until after the Austrian Grand Prix.

Initially, Verstappen didn’t show much regret and even made a sarcastic comment to Russell, saying, “Next time, I’ll bring tissues,” when asked if he felt he set a bad example for younger drivers.

However, later on, Verstappen posted a message on Instagram to explain his behaviour. While he still didn’t directly apologise, he admitted his frustration and said the move “was not right.”

Here’s what he wrote in full:

“We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, till the safety car came out.

“Our tyre choice to the end and some moves after the safety car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened.

“I always give everything out there for the team, and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal.”

The incident has sparked debate in the F1 world, with many questioning whether Verstappen’s punishment was strict enough, especially with a possible race ban now hanging over him. On top of everything, the FIA also admitted that the orginal incident (leaving the track and gaining an advantage) wasn't even being investigated and that Verstappen let Russell past him basically for no reason.