MUSINGS FROM THE TJ13 NOTEBOOK – F1’s unofficial rage quit is now officially “unacceptable” – Max Verstappen has done the unthinkable; admitting guilt in a collision with Russell. This time, the four-time world champion briefly paused his march through Formula 1 history to share a humble Instagram story. Yes, really. The man who once described brake-testing as ‘a racing incident’ has now admitted to doing something ‘unacceptable’.
That’s right. The world has turned upside down: Verstappen has taken responsibility for a crash — specifically, the one where he sent his Red Bull hurtling into George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix like a 14-year-old playing F1 23 on tilt. And it wasn’t just any point in the race, it was during a six-lap sprint to the finish on hard tyres while the rest of the grid had more grip than sense.
Safety car screws Red Bull strategy
The chaos began when Kimi Antonelli veered off into the gravel, prompting the deployment of the late-race safety car, an unwelcome addition to an event that was already unpopular. As the field bunched up and strategy went out the window, Red Bull, in all its Milton Keynes wisdom, put Verstappen on hard tyres.
Because nothing says ‘win now’ like the tyre compound equivalent of wearing Crocs to a sword fight.
Predictably, Verstappen was instantly overtaken by Charles Leclerc. Moments later, he found himself under attack from Russell’s Mercedes. What happened next was pure pantomime: Verstappen was hit at Turn 1, bounced off the circuit and rejoined the race ahead of Russell — then paused for thought.
Should he give the place back? Should he meditate? Or maybe consult the rule book? No, of course not.
Instead, he did what any red-blooded Formula 1 driver raised on karting and Red Bull marketing would do: he feigned yielding, sped up again and drove directly into the side of Russell’s car at turn 5.
Red Bull’s damage limitation plan: Blame emotions, post on Instagram.
Later that evening, Red Bull presumably held a team meeting in which the PR department threatened to replace Christian Horner’s minibar with a George Russell bobblehead unless someone apologised.
Enter Verstappen, whose Instagram feed briefly took a detour from ‘Gym. Dogs. Trophies” to ‘Apologies. Regret. Character development’.
“What happened with George should not have happened. It was unacceptable,” wrote Verstappen, presumably while resisting the urge to throw his phone out of the window.
Then came the real kicker: “Our tyre choice at the end, and some manoeuvres after the safety car restart, fuelled my frustration.”
Translated from PR-speak: “Your Honour, I was legally insane from the moment I saw Kimi in the gravel.”
He capped it all off with the classic F1 driver fallback: “We win together, we lose together.”
This is all well and good, except when ‘losing’ involves accumulating 11 penalty points and driving as though he’s trying to get fired.
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A points problem: one more slip and it’s Netflix and suspension.
The stewards responded in kind. For his collision, Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points. That brings him to 11, just one short of the fabled 12-point race ban, a threshold that few ever approach unless their name is Grosjean.
If Verstappen so much as sneezes aggressively in the direction of another driver in Canada or Austria, he could find himself watching from the garage, or worse, be replaced for one race by freshly retired Daniel Ricciardo, whose last Q3 appearance was probably during the Obama administration.
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Russell Keeps Cool, Because Someone Has To
While Max melted down in real time, George Russell, remained composed. No retaliation, no sassy post-race comments, just the kind of clean-cut composure that suggests he irons his race gloves.
This isn’t their first rodeo, either. Let us not forget the Qatar incident last year, when Verstappen accused Russell of threatening to ‘push me into a wall’, and Russell accused Verstappen of having a vivid imagination and a persecution complex. The Spanish sequel was always coming. This was Drive to Survive bait with a chequered flag.
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Meanwhile, in Milton Keynes, it’s panic, spin, repeat.
Red Bull’s recent form has gone from ‘invincible empire’ to ‘Greek tragedy’. Imola gave them a false sense of security, Monaco exposed them and Barcelona broke them. Now, McLaren is quicker, Mercedes is no longer comedy relief and Max Verstappen is re-enacting crashes.
And let’s not even talk about Red Bull’s tactical decisions, which lately feel as though they’ve been devised by a Magic 8-Ball. Putting Max on hard tyres for a restart sprint? That’s not bold. It’s the F1 equivalent of doing a trust fall with no one behind you.
Canada looms: Will Max behave? Probably not!
Next stop: Montreal, a track with walls, chicanes and unpredictable weather, and now a Verstappen on probation. Expect every camera to be fixed on car number 1, waiting to see if he forgets how to steer when another silver car gets too close.
Because here’s the thing: Max Verstappen is still Max Verstappen. One Instagram story and a carefully worded apology won’t change the fact that he’s a driver hardwired to win, even if it means clipping a rival, breaking the internet and triggering the FIA’s warning siren all at once.
So buckle up! If he even makes the wrong move in Montreal, the reigning Formula 1 champion might find himself on the pit wall in Austria — signing hats and sipping Red Bull while wondering how it all went sideways.
Who knew that a Sunday drive in Barcelona would turn into the motorsport equivalent of an episode of Succession?
Verstappen ‘treated harshly’ says ex-team principal
MORE F1 NEWS – Stroll set for F1 retirement
Stroll’s participation in the Canadian Grand Prix in doubt as Aston Martin considers emergency stand-in, meanwhile rumours circulate over Stroll’s long term F1 career – As the Formula 1 paddock turns its attention to Montreal, a dark cloud hangs over what should be a homecoming celebration for Lance Stroll. Lance Stroll, the sport’s most prominent Canadian currently, is facing the very real possibility of missing his home Grand Prix — and with that, whispers are growing louder that this might not just be a temporary absence, but his final appearance in the sport altogether.
After aggravating an old injury to his right wrist in a cycling crash earlier this year, Stroll was forced to withdraw from last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix after qualifying. Although Aston Martin claims that Stroll could still return in Montreal, the lack of communication from his team and the mounting uncertainty over his fitness have fuelled speculation that he may be leaving Formula 1 sooner rather than later.
For now, the team is scrambling behind the scenes to line up alternatives in case their driver cannot suit up for the 15 June showdown in Canada. However, whether they are preparing for one race or the beginning of life without Lance remains a sensitive question that no one at Aston Martin wants to answer just yet…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
