Formula 1 in Spain: Verapens later attempt to rescue after loss of control

In the morning after his serious frustration explosion with a ramming, Max Verstappen took off his confrontation course. None of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya could be felt by insight or error. Instead, he mocked attack victims George Russell from Mercedes: “Next time I’ll bring handkerchiefs.”

After a night, Via Instagram turned to his fans, perhaps also to his critics. “We had an exciting strategy and a good race in Barcelona until the Safety Car came.” This happened a few rounds before the end, Verstappen got tough tires, others no longer existed who would have persevered. He was in third place with hopes for victory, the fifth in Spain as a whole, the fourth one after the other.

Verstappen-Statement: Would not have happened

However, the slowest tire mixture did not come to temperature and did not move on the way for the long-prepared and final attack on the later racing winner Oscar Piatri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. “Our choice of tires and some maneuvers after the remaining start fueled my frustration, which led to a maneuver that was not correct and should not have happened,” said Verstappen, after he had deliberately driven Russell in the Mercedes. For this he had received ten penalty seconds and had fallen back to tenth place.

In addition, the racing commissioners grumbled three penalty points for the campaign. Verstappen now threatens a racing lock, he has eleven points in the sinner card, comes in the two races in Canada and Austria, the 27-year-old defending champion is blocked for the next Grand Prix and the renewed World Cup triumph has moved far away. “I always give everything out there for the team and the emotions can boil up,” said Verstappen.

Piatri is the opponent that Verstappen must fear

A rescue attempt after loss of control? Real insight? Is offset as it is. Raster on the track is also nothing new. What is new, however, is that after four World Cup titles, he has an opponent, especially in Piatri, who is also not impressed by the Dutchy attacks and has now already shot 49 points more than.

“Many are afraid when Max’s car appears behind them. Just like in the golden times of (Michael) Schumacher. But Piatri, who saw the blue spot of the RB21 in his rearview mirror, did not even shrink,” wrote Spain “Mundo Deportivo”. Piatri, his team -mate Norris – ten points behind in the classification – won five of the previous nine races in Spain a week after his triumph in Monaco in Spain.

Nevertheless, Piatris got into the background in a tactically highly exciting race through Verstappen wild trip in the last rounds. “We are putting our lives at risk. Fortunately, the cars are as safe as they are these days. But you shouldn’t accept that for granted,” Russell said dramatically. The Briton and Verstappen drag a common Zoff pre-history from last year.

It remains to be seen whether it was the international headlines or the hard judgments of experts who moved Verstappen to a publicly embarrassed. “Max Verstappen ensures scandal”, the “Salzburger Nachrichten” had titled the Austrian Red Bull home. “La Gazzetta Dello Sport” from Italy called Verstappen a “Rüpel”. In it, the dirty version came out again “that he seemed to have left behind,” said “El País” from Spain. Curiously, the four-time Spain winner was named the driver of the race by the fans.

Incorrect acceptance of the team brought Verstappen in need

His team had instructed Verstappen to have Russell overtaking again. Those responsible had incorrectly assumed that Verstappen had previously gained an advantage in a duel with his last tire set.

Verstappen, already cursed on 180 and bad, let the Mercedes come up and then rammed it. “I’ve already done that – at Mario Kart …”, Norris mocked, who has often felt the wild side of his buddy.

Whether insight whether calculus is on his statement the day after – immediately afterwards he still asked when asked whether the action was intentional. “Does that play a role?” When the reporter affirmed this, Verstappen countered: “Yeah. It’s great.”

Experts puzzle about Verstappen campaign

He tried to explain what had driven in Verstappen the moment at the moment: too much frustration. “As a four-time world champion, he didn’t need this,” commented Sky expert and ex-racing driver Ralf Schumacher beforehand: “It is clear that the frustration is along, but that shouldn’t be.” Ex-champion Nico Rosberg described Verstappen maneuver as “extremely unacceptable” that he should have been taken out of the race immediately, Rosberg emphasized.