Overview

• During the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, Mercedes driver George Russell said Max Verstappen’s late-race contact felt deliberate and compared it to aggressive moves in Formula E.
• Stewards penalized Verstappen with a 10-second time penalty and added two points to his super licence, leaving him close to a potential race suspension.
• Verstappen later apologised on Instagram for the incident, calling it a mistake driven by frustration and pledging to move forward.
• Russell’s post-race remarks referenced Dan Ticktum’s 2015 karting crash under safety-car conditions, which earned the Briton a two-year ban with one year suspended.
• Competing in Formula E’s Shanghai double-header, Ticktum took to social media to thank Russell for the “free publicity” and called the comparison flattering.