Track rage? Verstappen penalized for collision with Russell at Spanish GP
Verstappen had been ordered by his Red Bull team to cede position to Russell — in hopes of avoiding a minor penalty — after he had driven beyond the track limits so he could defend his position late in the race.
The Dutchman slowed to let Russell pass, but as Russell did so Verstappen's car collided with the side of the Silver Arrow.
Race stewards ruled that the 'collision was undoubtedly caused by the actions' of Verstappen and slapped him with a 10-second penalty. That sent him tumbling down the race standings to 10th place, after he crossed the finish line fifth.
'It felt very deliberate, to be honest,' Russell told reporters. 'It is something I have … never (seen) before in a Formula 1 race.
'It is a bit of a shame because Max is clearly one of the best in the world, but maneuvers like that are totally unnecessary and let him down. And it is shame for the kids looking up and aspiring to be Formula One drivers.'
Verstappen was unrepentant.
'Next time I will bring a tissue,' Verstappen replied when told about Russell's comment on him not being a good example for aspiring drivers.
The four-time defending champion wouldn't go into what he thought happened, adding that Russell 'has his view, I have my view.'
Other drivers commented on the incident.
Lando Norris, who finished second behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, was taken back by the move when he watched it on a video monitor while cooling down.
'I've done that before ... on Mario Kart,' Norris quipped, comparing the collision to the popular video game of zany, action-packed racing.
Verstappen was running third and looked to be in a strong position to at least challenge Norris for second place until Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes slid into the gravel and caused a safety car to come out.
The McLarens went in quickly to get new, faster tires, but Verstappen had already made an extra pit stop and so didn't have any soft- or medium-compound tires left. So his team slapped on some hard-compound tires, which are slower and better for long runs, not the five laps remaining after the restart.
Verstappen said he felt like a sitting duck and was quickly overtaken by Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari and then Russell.
'I think up until then it was looking quite good for us,' Verstappen said. 'We didn't have, of course, the pace of the McLarens, but with that three stop, it still looked quite racy out there, putting them at least a little bit on the pressure in a way that they had to push.'
After taking just one point from the race, Verstappen was left 49 points adrift of Piastri in the overall standings.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sarina Wiegman on the Euros final, the Lionesses as campaigners, and their late comebacks
England manager Sarina Wiegman has praised the Lionesses for using their platform, reaching a third successive final to advocate for "positive change in society" while focused on defending their Euros title. In an interview with Sky News, she spoke about how, if the "incredible support" throughout the tournament in Switzerland is matched by an incredible performance, that can "bring us the win" against Spain on Sunday. But while progressing, the team has called out social media abuse after defender . Players used winning their first trophy in 2022 as a springboard to lobby the government to advocate for more access to football for girls. "I think that's the high purpose of women's football," Weigman told Sky News when asked about players as campaigners while achieving sporting excellence. "Of course it's England and we want to win, but there's a bigger picture too, and of course we saw that last week that we said this is enough [on racism]. "We're just leading that, and everyone's supporting. We need to send a message out because it's unacceptable and disgusting. "And that shows also that the identity of the women's game, that yes we want to improve and we want to get the results, but that gives us a platform to hopefully make a little change, positive change in society, and that's what we go for too." Comebacks It has been a challenging tournament on the pitch defending their European crown. The opening match was lost to France before emphatic wins against the Netherlands and Wales took them into the knockout phase. They were facing elimination against Sweden before coming back from 2-0 down to 2-2 before winning on penalties. And they came even closer to being knocked out in the semi-final by Italy until Michelle Agyemang equalised in the 96th minute and Chloe Kelly struck the winner in extra time. Asked about the impact of the drama on the England manager, attacking midfielder Ella Toone joked: "We've almost killed her twice this tournament." So how does Wiegman cope with the frenzied finishes? "I'm never angry at the players because I know they give their best and they do everything to make it work," she said in our interview at the team's Zurich hotel. "I'm just really proud of them. How we show up, how we step up when necessary and I just hope that we do a little bit earlier now. "But first, the most important thing is that we play at our best because that makes the chance of winning as high as possible and we want that best outcome of course." The outcome in 2023 was losing the World Cup final to Spain, and Sunday's game in Basel is a rematch. "Spain is a very good country, they play very good football, but I think we're really good too, so we have our tactical plan ready," Wiegman said. "We have to be at our best. Then if we are at our best we can win and the urgency is there to be our best to make that possible." Read more: Five finals The double European champion has unprecedented managerial experience at her five international tournaments - only reaching the finals with the Netherlands and England. "It's very special because playing a final is very special," Wiegman said. "There are many teams in the competition and there is only a spot for two countries to play a final and it's very, very hard to get through to the final. "So I feel grateful and I'm really, really excited to play another final with England. And yes, I've noticed a couple of things, what it does with the country. "Of course, I already did that after the Euros, but also after the World Cup. So I'm excited about that too, of course." Super-subs She can feel vindicated by the results, however much the clamour is to make substitutions earlier. "I don't feel that resistance, I don't feel that because I'm in the game and we have our bubble," she said. "And the only thing I'm focusing on is my bubble, everything outside I'm not focusing on and don't pay attention to. "Of course there's pressure, of course when you're down or 2-0 down or 1-0 then there's pressure because you need to score a goal and then you make your subs and it's incredible that the subs make a difference." With the team often rescued by super-subs Kelly and Agyemang, who is playing her first tournament at 19. "She brings something different with her qualities and it's really nice that she shows that too," Wiegman said. Read more from Sky News: Support England have never won a trophy on foreign soil before - with the men and women only collecting trophies at Wembley. Thousands of fans are expected in Basel and millions watching back home. "I'd really like to thank everyone with the incredible support we've had here in Switzerland," Wiegman said. "England is totally overloaded with the fans, there's so many here and we know there's so many watching from home and supporting us. "That feels incredible and we're very very thankful for that and I hope we can put an incredible performance on the pitch again on Sunday and I hope that will bring us the win."
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Real Madrid ready to admit DEFEAT over Ibrahima Konate
Bubbling away in the background of a landmark Liverpool summer transfer window has been the saga of . The Reds under sporting director have been busy adding quality all over the pitch - with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili all arriving. LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now But centre-back has been suggested as an area potentially in need of attention considering the contract situation revolving around Konate. The 26-year-old has got less than 12 months left on his current deal - expiring in June 2026. So far there has been no breakthrough over a new deal - with it earlier reported that the France defender would be seeking £200k per week to renew. Konate a priority Madrid target However those reports were superseded by ones stating that Konate had made up his mind and would DECLINE a renewal from the Reds. Liverpool, it was mooted, would be powerless to prevent Konate from running down his deal and joining Real Madrid for free in 2026. Only things are not working out that way. Madrid have got reason to believe that adding Konate as a new free transfer is not going to be as easy as they first thought. First came the reports from France declaring that Liverpool had made a new contract offer to Konate. Madrid plot Konate Plan B And while that offer has not been answered as yet, it was enough to scare the Madrid media into reporting that adding Konate was now tougher than ever. That's been followed up with a report in Defensa Central which states that Xabi Alonso is now activating Plan B as Konate slips from their grasp. 'Xabi Alonso is seriously considering the possibility of counting on Joan Martínez,' the report reads, adding that the Madrid academy graduate is now due a promotion. © IMAGO Madrid rolling back from Konate claims The reason for the 17-year-old being drafted into the first-team picture is increasing uncertainty over the fate of Konate. Madrid media are now rowing back from their previous claims that the Konate deal was all but done. That should give us an indication of how they feel Liverpool contract talks are going to go. Konate should take a look around at what Liverpool have added this summer and provided the club can match his demands he needs to commit his future long-term to the reigning Premier League title holders.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ella Toone: Back-to-back European Championships would be a 'dream'
Ella Toone said a back-to-back European Championship victory would be a dream as she prepares to face Spain in the final showdown in Basel on Sunday. The 25-year-old scored the opener in the Lionesses' 2-1 victory at Wembley in 2022 as they won their first major tournament trophy, and they could repeat the feat just three years later. They face a rematch of their World Cup final defeat in 2023 as they lost 1-0 to Spain in Australia, and now they are aiming to avenge that with victory at St. Jakob Park. '[Back-to-back champions] is the dream. That's the aim. You want to come into a tournament, and you want to put on performances,' said Toone. 'You want to make the country proud, and you want to inspire a generation and those were our aims for the tournament. 'We've got all this way, so we want to go out into the game and give it everything. No one wants to lose a football match, especially a final, so we'll do everything we can to put on a performance. 'We'll fight, we'll believe in ourselves, we'll have that togetherness like we always do, so we will hopefully get over the line.' England's route to the final has been far from straightforward with their quarter-finals and semi-finals both requiring extra time, and in the former, penalties, to decide them. It has led to tense viewing for fans and family of the Lionesses alike. Against Sweden, Michelle Agyemang's late equaliser saw England recover from a two-goal deficit to take the game to penalties. Then in Geneva against Italy, Agyemang once more popped up to take the game to extra-time where Chloe Kelly struck the winner to send England to the final. 'It's mad. I'm not all for the drama but we've definitely made it dramatic this tournament. Sometimes football's not always how you want it to be,' said Toone. 'It would be lovely to win in 90 minutes, but the teams we've been playing against have been really tough and we've right until the very end. 'We've never given up and we like to add that little bit of drama. I know the fans at home we've probably given a heart attack. 'You can see the fight from the team that we want to win whatever game we play in.' That fight has emerged from what the Lionesses are dubbing a 'proper English mentality'. It has come to sum up their approach to the positions they have found themselves in, seemingly escaping from scenarios they seemed destined to go out. 'We spoke a lot about a 'proper English performance' at this camp. We have it in us all individually and as a team that we want to fight, and we want to not stop running,' added Toone. 'You've seen that in games where it's 90 minutes and it might look like we're down and out, and then someone comes on and we have one moment, and we take that moment. 'That's what it's all about. It's squad depth and players having that belief that they can come on and really change the game. 'But it's all in us individually that we're competitive and we want to win and we know what it takes to win in tournaments. That's what we've managed to do and that's what has got us to a third consecutive final.' The Lionesses will face their toughest test yet in Basel as they meet the reigning world champions to defend their European crown. Having faced each other twice already this year, the teams have one win each from their recent meetings, but Spain are yet to lose at Euro 2025 with a perfect record in their group. They boast a midfield three of Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati who play together at Barcelona and have looked unbeatable at times this tournament. It will likely be Toone, Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh who come face-to-face with the trio, but they are under no illusion about their own strengths, too. 'In football, games can be won and lost in the midfield. We know that we have to be on our game,' said Toone. 'We have so much respect for [Patri, Putellas and Bonmati]. All three of them are world class players and are very talented. 'But we know what we're capable of. Whoever plays in the midfield will do an important job. No matter what, we'll go into that game, we'll give 100% and we'll fight like we always do.'
