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Christian Horner dismissed Ralf Schumacher’s theory that Max Verstappen deliberately crashed into George Russell due to an exit clause in his contract. Speaking to BILD, the Red Bull Racing CEO called the suggestion nonsensical and described Verstappen as a thorough professional.
Schumacher had speculated that Verstappen’s collision with Russell stemmed from frustration over the Red Bull RB21’s underperformance. He implied the incident could have been a calculated move by the four-time world champion to trigger a contract clause by deliberately losing points, amid ongoing rumours of a potential move to Mercedes or Aston Martin in 2025.
Horner firmly denied the theory and said it was among the most far-fetched he had heard. He maintained that Verstappen is a natural racer who is focused on winning and would never engage in such tactics.
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Asked about Schumacher’s theory on Max Verstappen, Horner replied:
“This theory is the biggest nonsense possible. I haven’t heard anything so stupid for a long time. Max is a racer through and through. He always wants to win and would never act like that.”
Speaking to Sky Germany, Schumacher commented on the incident saying:
“His behaviour is a pity, he doesn’t need that as a four-time World Champion. I don’t know what got into him. It is clear that frustration is on the way, but that should not be the case. I think he realised today that it’s not going as hoped and that the update didn’t work so well. You have to pay attention to why things like this happen and why he gets an unnecessary penalty if there is a clause. It’s a critical phase."
Max Verstappen regrets incident with George Russell at the Spanish GP
Max Verstappen admitted that the incident with George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix should not have happened. In a post on Instagram after the race, the Red Bull driver acknowledged that the safety car restart had fuelled his frustration, which in turn led to the wrong move. Although his initial reaction in the media immediately after the race reflected no regrets, he appeared to take back that stance later. Christian Horner also posted on Instagram, confirming that Verstappen had apologised to the team during the post-race debrief.
Speaking in a post on Instagram, Verstappen said:
“We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, [until] the Safety Car came out. Our tyre choice at the end and some moves after the [Safety Car] restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn't have happened. I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal.”
Max Verstappen is currently third in the Drivers’ championship. He was on course for a podium finish if not for the untimely safety car. Without the incident with George Russell, a fourth or fifth-place result seemed certain, worth 12 and 10 points respectively. Instead, he left Barcelona with just one point after receiving a ten-second penalty, which has widened the gap between him and the McLaren drivers in the standings. Verstappen now has 137 points, while Oscar Piastri leads the championship with 186 points, followed by Lando Norris in second with 176 points.
