Should Verstappen have been disqualified from the Spanish GP? Our writers have their say

Max Verstappen’s clash with George Russell has taken the headlines from the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, which saw the reigning world champion given a 10-second penalty and three penalty points.

The penalty dropped the Red Bull driver to 10th in the Barcelona race results, while he is just one penalty point away from facing a race ban as he has collected 11 in a 12-month period. His next points don’t come off until after the Austrian GP at the end of June.

Was the penalty for Verstappen correct? Our writers have their say.

Yes, Verstappen got off lightly – Stuart Codling

Whether you like Formula 1 or not it’s widely considered the pinnacle of motorsport and attracts a global audience commensurate with that status. Most aspiring race drivers want to get there and cast their eyes upwards towards it.

So it follows that the star drivers of each era bequeath their driving etiquette to the next. The generation which grew up idolising Ayrton Senna has more or less passed into retirement, and indeed those who essayed their first laps in a kart while Michael Schumacher was in his pomp are heading in that direction too.

Today’s rookies and F1-adjacent wannabes aspire to be like Verstappen and it is incumbent of him, as a four-time world champion, to set a good example – not just as a blisteringly fast and talented racer but also as one who abides by the rules. Deliberately driving into an opponent because your day has gone south is not just petulant, for a driver of Max’s status it is rather pathetic.

In 2015 Dan Ticktum was given a two-year ban, suspended for one year, for overtaking under a Safety Car in an MSA Formula race to reach and then crash into another driver with whom he had collided on the opening lap. Racing cars are massive vessels of energy and, when they collide, that energy has to go somewhere. It is incredibly dangerous to deploy them as an implement of petty pique – dangerous not just for the drivers themselves but for marshals and spectators too.

In that context, a 10-second penalty is getting off very lightly.

No, but perhaps a harsher time penalty was in order – Jake Boxall-Legge

Simply reviewing the incident from the footage, I’m inclined to say that there’s too much doubt involved; we know Verstappen was slow out of Turn 4 to give Russell the place, and we know that Mercedes wasn’t actually aware that he was doing it – Toto Wolff stated after the race that he’d initially thought Russell had a problem. If you’re feeling charitable, one could suggest that Verstappen was trying to let Russell through, and then attempting to recapture the position into Turn 5 and not expecting Russell to take his line through the corner. For a disqualification, there has to be intent to cause the crash.

What does the data say? It confirms that Verstappen lifted after Turn 4, jabbed the brakes three times to ensure Russell could pass – but then he boots the throttle at the point Russell was braking. He brakes far later for the corner, comes off the throttle later and the onboard viewing of the steering lock seems as though he’s certainly looking for a wider line. Is there a smidgen of overspeed into the corner? A tiny bit, before the speed comes off as the two connect.

For me, it’s more equivalent to Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton at Baku in 2017. Vettel got a 10-second stop/go for that one, and the equivalent should have been perhaps given here (although I appreciate time didn’t allow this). There’s too much reasonable doubt to disqualify Verstappen here.

Not sure, but perhaps a community service order is needed again – Oleg Karpov

It’s one of those moments when you’re glad you’re not an F1 steward, isn’t it? In the modern world, it’s impossible to make such a call and remain everyone’s favourite on social media. It’s more likely you’d face abuse, sarcastic jokes and even death threats.

So, I’d refrain from giving a definitive answer here as well.

But one thing is certain: this shouldn’t be dealt with here and now. Verstappen is a Formula 1 world champion and one of the greatest athletes of all time. He’s a sporting icon that many look up to and try to emulate. If he really does allow himself to bang wheels with another car just because he’s annoyed about missing out on a podium or fourth place, that’s not a good example, frankly.

There’s nothing unusual about athletes losing control in the heat of the moment. It’s happened before and it will happen again. However, what sport needs to ensure is that appropriate action is taken to avoid sending the wrong message.

Max Verstappen with the stewards

Photo by: FIA

This needs to be properly assessed next week. Maybe it’s time for Max to work with the stewards at a Formula E race again.

Yes, a lesson needs to be learned by Verstappen – Michael Banovsky

From where I was sitting, this incident is worthy of at least a race disqualification because it represented alarming behaviour from the reigning world champion.

Should F1 be the sort of motorsport where a world champion’s visible breakdown (suffering from “road rage” means one is not fully in control of their faculties) — and the subsequent deliberate ramming of another driver — is a conversation even worth entertaining?

Forget the young drivers, or even his rivals: the FIA disqualifying him would give Verstappen the opportunity to examine what went wrong in his own head.

Between fan reaction on social media, the opinions of other drivers, team personnel, and pundits, our articles about this incident will no doubt rack up the views and — to the eyes of F1 and the FIA — no doubt increase overall engagement after this event and onward to Canada.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images

In this model, stewarding decisions that create controversy is OK, perhaps encouraged, so long as everyone gets to walk away from the incident. Conjecture around a more severe penalty for Verstappen if Russell had been fully taken out of the race is just that…conjecture.

Red Bull’s leading driver, and championship contender, being on 11 of 12 possible penalty points creates drama.

The real drama is that we all saw a split second disconnect within Verstappen – and we’re struggling to rationalise how a champion could get his thoughts so twisted, and how he’ll process this so it never happens again.