Jun.2 (GMM) Conspiracy theories are swirling after Max Verstappen’s “battering ram” move in Barcelona that ultimately left his championship hopes severely dented.
The Dutchman had gone into the Spanish GP amid swirling rumours that if he drops from P3 in the drivers’ standings by the end of June, an exit clause in his Red Bull contract could be triggered.
Verstappen was on course for P3 in Barcelona until the safety car, which left him with only uncompetitive hard-compound tyres. A sequence of events then unfolded before the world’s eyes that culminated in him apparently losing his cool and deliberately nerfing into George Russell.
Russell, who does not get along with his fellow 27-year-old, kept his response measured but concluded that Verstappen was perhaps not being a good role model for children.
“I’ll bring some tissues for him next time,” Verstappen hit back.
Amid calls for disqualification, the stewards ultimately decided to impose a 10-second penalty, which dropped the quadruple world champion to P10 – leaving him almost 50 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen is also left with only 1 point remaining on his super license, meaning another indiscretion by the end of June will result in an automatic race ban.
“He used his car like a battering ram,” Alex Wurz, who along with Russell is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, told ORF.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff found himself in an awkward position after the race – with Russell as the aggrieved party and also reportedly open to welcoming Verstappen to the team in 2026.
“If it was road rage, then it’s not good,” he said.
On Italian television Sky, the Austrian was even more blunt: “It was like certain taxi drivers in Rome or Naples, who go crazy in traffic.
“If he did it out of anger, it’s unacceptable.”
Some think Verstappen performed the move – letting Russell pull directly alongside before punting him off – was to demonstrate precisely what the British driver had done in turn 2 after the safety car ended.
“I have nothing to say,” Verstappen said when asked about that. “I was rightly penalised for that manoeuvre and I have nothing else to add.”
He did add, however, that he has no plans to talk to Russell about it. “In life, you shouldn’t regret too many things,” Verstappen insisted. “Because you only live once.”
Predictably, Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko defended his driver.
‘The emotions were running high during that whole situation,” he said. “This is part of racing.
“Honestly, I think the biggest problem we have is the driving standards and what is allowed and what is not, which is not very natural. And that is quite frustrating and that frustration was reflected in his driving style,” he added.
“I’d rather not go into more details.”
Dutch driver and personality Tom Coronel told Viaplay that he thinks Verstappen “won’t be too bothered” with losing points in Barcelona – given McLaren’s clear and ongoing dominance.
“‘I’m not going to win the championship anyway, so I’ll show my teeth now’,” he said, speculating on Verstappen’s mindset.
Verstappen confirmed: “I never said I was in the title fight. It certainly doesn’t feel that way.
“If McLaren does everything right, they’re unbeatable. I think that’s been pretty clear this season.”
Ralf Schumacher, meanwhile, floats a conspiracy theory – that Verstappen may have deliberately engineered the penalty to lose points and move himself closer to that rumoured contract exit clause.
“You have to pay close attention to why such things happen and why he would get an unnecessary penalty like that. We know about the clause,” he told Sky Deutschland.
“It’s a critical phase,” Schumacher added.
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