George Russell and Max Verstappen starred in a dramatic collision during the last stages of the 2025 Spain Grand Prix, which had a significant impact on the final result of the race and generated a great controversy in the world of Formula 1.

The incident occurred after a restart under Safety Car in the Barcelona circuit, after the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli retired through a mechanical problem, which led most of the leading pilots to make an additional stop in boxes. Verstappen, who was with hard tires, was at a disadvantage in front of rivals with soft tires, including Russell, who tried to advance it taking advantage of this situation.

During the resumption, Verstappen was instructed by his team, Red Bull, to give Russell’s position after the latter managed to overcome Charles Leclerc in the first curve. However, after giving the position, Verstappen accelerated abruptly and collided with the Mercedes of Russell in curve 5, which led to the FIA ​​imposed by a penalty of 10 seconds and added three penalty points in its superícence, adding a total of 11 points, very close to the automatic suspension due to accumulation of points.

Russell described Verstappen’s maneuver as “deliberate” and expressed concern about the example that this type of actions could give to young fans. Verstappen, meanwhile, acknowledged that it was a “error of judgment” and showed frustration for the situation, although he avoided deepening the subject in later interviews. The penalty relegated Verstappen from fifth to tenth place in the final classification of the race.

The FIA’s decision was the subject of debate, since some considered that the sanction could have been more severe, even with a possible disqualification, given the nature of the clash. However, Commissioner Derek Warwick defended the actions of the judges and considered that the applied penalty was correct.

This incident has increased the tension between both pilots and their equipment, Red Bull and Mercedes, and has put Verstappen to the edge of a suspension for future races, adding an additional pressure component in the next schedule competitions.

In summary, the collision between George Russell and Max Verstappen in the 2025 Grand Prix was a key moment that not only affected the race itself, but also had repercussions on the fight for the championship and in the dynamics of the current Formula 1.