The Final Laps: Verstappen's Race Day Drama

The Spanish Grand Prix 2025 was a rollercoaster for Max Verstappen. The race took a dramatic turn in the final five laps. Verstappen and George Russell had a heated exchange. This happened after a late safety car intervention. Before this, Verstappen was doing well. He was set for a strong third place. He had challenged the McLarens with a clever three-stop strategy. This was different from their two-stop approach. The safety car changed everything. Most teams, including the leaders, pitted for fresh soft tyres. Red Bull had a tough choice. They could either leave Verstappen on his worn soft tyres or pit for new tyres. The new tyres were either fresh hard compounds or used softs. Red Bull chose the hard tyres. This decision backfired. Verstappen struggled to keep up with cars on grippier tyres. Verstappen was not happy with the tyre choice. He nearly lost control on the final corner restart. Leclerc passed him on the straight. They had a minor collision. Russell also passed Verstappen. They banged wheels at the first corner. Verstappen accused Russell of pushing him off the track. He was also upset about the Leclerc incident. Red Bull advised Verstappen to let Russell pass to avoid a penalty. Verstappen was frustrated. He blamed the racing guidelines. He felt they were unclear. He said, "What is allowed, what isn't, is not very natural. And that is quite frustrating. " The stewards investigated but took no further action. They said both drivers were partly to blame for the collision with Leclerc. Leclerc mentioned that Verstappen tried to push him towards the inside. This is where there is lots of used tyre rubber. Leclerc tried to push Verstappen to the left. There was a little contact, but no major consequences. The rules state that Russell was entitled to the corner. He was almost completely alongside Verstappen. The rules say that a driver overtaking on the inside must have his car's front axle at least level with the wing mirror of the car on the outside. This is to be given space. The stewards did not take any further action. They said both cars were moving towards each other. A minor collision occurred as a result. Both drivers agreed it was avoidable. It could have resulted in a major crash. Neither driver was wholly or predominantly to blame.