Marko: Verstappen crash a 'serious misjudgement'

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko had admitted Max Verstappen's collision with George Russell astatine the Spanish Grand Prix was a "serious misjudgment," but remains assured the reigning champion volition not extremity up with a contention ban.

Frustrated by the mode his contention was panning out, Verstappen drove into Russell's car successful Spain aft helium was told by the Red Bull pit partition to cede presumption to the Mercedes driver.

Although Verstappen refused to speech straight astir the incidental successful post-race interviews, helium posted a connection connected societal media connected Monday saying that the determination was "not close and shouldn't person happened".

Marko, who has agelong been a adjacent state of Verstappen astatine Red Bull, agreed the reigning champion had experienced a lapse of judgement.

"Max past abruptly accelerated again and past each hellhole broke loose," Marko told Servus TV. "That was a superior misjudgment.

"He was already astatine likelihood with Russell. With incidents and atrocious decisions, emotions person tally high.

"Sleeping connected it surely helped. Everyone goes their ain way. When Max is successful that mood, it's amended to permission him alone."

Verstappen was fixed a 10-second punishment for the collision, dropping him to 10th spot successful the last contention classification, and besides received 3 punishment points connected his superlicence from the stewards.

Verstappen present has 11 punishment points successful full connected his superlicence, meaning different misjudgment astatine 1 of the adjacent 2 rounds would effect successful 12 successful a 12-month play and a contention ban.

However, Marko remains assured Verstappen volition beryllium capable to power immoderate vexation wrong the cockpit and debar a contention ban.

"The punishment is appropriate," Marko added. "It won't hap that helium behaves severely successful Canada and past doesn't commencement successful Austria. He's a racer who knows his limits."

Marko said the spread betwixt Red Bull and title leaders McLaren was bigger than expected successful Spain, but hopes it volition adjacent again astatine the adjacent circular successful Canada.

"The full play was sobering for us," helium said. "Basically, we were 3 tenths down with a car that was excessively slow. We thought we were connected a par. We saw again that McLaren is vastly superior.

"We anticipation that our car volition beryllium competitory again successful Canada. At the moment, Max Verstappen does not person a car with which helium tin go satellite champion.

"But lone helium tin header with it astatine each astatine the moment. If everything fits, we'll beryllium conscionable arsenic accelerated arsenic McLaren.

"But that's lone each 3rd oregon 4th race. McLaren is ever there. We're not giving up yet, but it's going to beryllium difficult."