"At some point, you lose your temper": Helmut Marko defends Max Verstappen amidst backlash for George Russell incident

Helmut Marko recently came to Max Verstappen's defense, stating that the incidents with Charles Leclerc and George Russell triggered him to make the controversial move. Speaking to OE24, the Red Bull senior advisor suggested that both events caused Verstappen to lose his temper during the 2025 Spanish GP.

At the safety car restart, Charles Leclerc made contact with Verstappen, and in the following corner, George Russell forced him wide onto the escape road. Verstappen was instructed by the team to give the position back to Russell, having rejoined the track via the escape road. He complied, only to later swerve into the Briton.

Marko believes that both incidents with Leclerc and Russell, respectively, frustrated Verstappen. He added that the Dutchman was further irritated by being fitted with the hard tires at the wrong time, leading to a lack of pace. According to Marko, the final straw was Red Bull’s call for him to give the position back, which ultimately pushed Verstappen over the edge.

Asked if Max Verstappen becoming a father recently has made him more irritable or calm, Marko replied:

“He was more relaxed – until the Spanish Grand Prix. A lot of things happened to him there: They put the wrong tire on him, he had to give up his position even though he believed he was 100 percent in the right. Then there was Leclerc's action – at some point, you lose your temper.”

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Helmut Marko dismisses the possibility of a race ban for Max Verstappen at the Austrian GP

Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen is unlikely to receive a race ban at the Austrian GP. He stated that the Dutchman was unaware of how severe the penalty for the incident with George Russell would be. The Red Bull senior advisor acknowledged that consistently driving beyond the car’s limits each weekend can be challenging. He also felt that Charles Leclerc was more deserving of a penalty for the earlier incident. Marko said that when situations like that go unpunished, it adds to Verstappen’s frustration.

When asked if Max Verstappen could be banned from the Austrian GP if he had another incident or outburst, Marko said:

"No, no, that won't happen. He's got himself under control that far."

Further explaining the incident, he added:

“Max certainly wasn't thinking about that at the time (when he deliberately drove into Russell's car and received the license points penalty). But when you have to drive with your teeth like he has this year, everything is just more difficult. Although, in Max's defense, ServusTV showed very clear footage on Monday that Max was hit by Leclerc in Barcelona at 300 km/h. But nothing happened. Of course, that upsets him too.”

Max Verstappen has 11 penalty points on his license within 12 months, placing him just one point away from a race ban. His incident in the Spanish Grand Prix cost him approximately 10 to 12 points and significantly widened his gap in the drivers’ championship with both the McLaren drivers. He now sits on 137 points, trailing Lando Norris by 39 and Oscar Piastri by 49 points, respectively. Such a deficit at this stage of the season makes the challenge to defend his championship title an even steeper uphill battle.