Verstappen wins in Spain and Russell chastised - Things you might've missed at the Spanish Grand Prix

Russell, Verstappen, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Spanish Grand Prix

Verstappen wins in Spain and Russell chastised - Things you might've missed at the Spanish Grand Prix

Surprising moments from Barcelona

Chris Deeley

Monday 2 June 2025 10:57

Quite a Spanish Grand Prix that, wasn't it? Some tactical intrigue thanks to Max Verstappen's brilliance, and then some late drama thanks to Mercedes'...well, they broke a bit.

You saw all of that though, including and especially the Verstappen shunt into Russell which changed exactly nothing on track at the time (afterward, it was afterward when things changed).

F1 RESULTS: Max Verstappen FUMES as late safety car drama causes chaos at Spanish Grand Prix

Article continues under video

That's all rote knowledge though. You could've watched the Sky Sports highlights for that. You could've read some rakishly handsome stranger's race recap. That's not why you're here, is it?

We watched this race closer than you, because journalists and writers are fundamentally better than the people they write for (decide your own level of sarcasm here). So we spotted some things. Starting from the obvious...

The F1 vote of the year

Alright, who did this? Own up? Who put all the ballots for Class President in the--and threw away all the---no, I'm NOT angry, I'm just...I thought you'd all take this seriously, this was your chance to have your say in the running of this school.

But instead you've...

Right, well you've voted for a first name 'Deez', and a second name 'Nutz'. And we happened to close the ballot just MINUTES before young Mr Nutz got expelled for setting the drama teacher on fire, and hitting anyone who tried to extinguish him with a large squeaky rubber hammer? Then snuck into his autopsy, pointed and shouted 'now THAT'S a cold open'?

No. None of that.

Also, Max Verstappen smashed into George Russell's car ''''on purpose'''' and still won driver of the day. Unrelated.

Anthem. Anthems. Two anthems?

Drivers were notably scurrying double-time to the grid past the traditional Sky Sports grid-walk before the start of the race, and that might not only have been because the Big Dog wasn't there.

We all know the feature's quality and brazyness takes a dip when Martin Brundle isn't there, but a lot of drivers brushed off Sky's (I'm sorry, this isn't means as a pejorative, just in terms of this segment) B-team. They had a good excuse!

There were two national anthems this weekend before the race! The famously a-lyrical Spanish anthem, and the Catalan anthem Els Segadors, which is essentially called 'The Reapers' and talks about 'striking with thy sickle'.

Probably fine. Definitely no tension between Catalunya and Castilla. Especially not when Catalunya's F1 race is getting taken away from it. And certainly not after the 2017 independence riots. Anyway...talking of another Franco---no, no, kidding. Just another rich--Editorial: We took Chris away for 30 minutes in The Crystal before he was allowed to continue this piece. Normal service should resume.

Management says...

George Russell's Sunday was already spicy on the radio long before his [equipment malfunction. writer set to:default] incident with Verstappen at the end of the race.

However, when he shouted over team radio on the first lap of the race: "These **** are moving under braking today. What is going on?"

...he was greeted not by his race engineer but by team principal Toto Wolff, who had his own boss hanging over his shoulder.

"George, concentrate!"

Yeah, we've all had a meeting that would've gone well if management hadn't poked their heads in the room...

HOT TAKES: 'Max Verstappen is a BULLY' as champion handed 'pathetic' penalty

Bucky Saka, the Summer...pun goes here

Bukayo Saka might not be the perfect man. He might've sworn once. He might have even – and this is speculation – doubled parked one time.

But come on, now. The whole England squad got dragged to an F1 race, and he didn't want to give a soundbite to the guy who doesn't even do the F1 grid soundbites?

You ever been on a team building evening to an escape room? Would you love a mic in your face from a stranger – but a stranger whose company loves employing people who criticise you, live to millions – asking who you think will win?

You might, reasonably, say 'nah, I've got nothing here'. That seems fair. You might even do it while smiling while giving a friendly 'nah, not for me'. Apparently that's rude when you're Bukayo Saka.

Bet he'd have given the interview to Martin Brundle though. Swear down, Sky, either train your crew up to do Brundle-level gridwalks or just roll a couple of extra minutes of VT or analysis in that spot when he's not there. What you have now...undignified.

Alright, sim racing, we get it

We GET IT. Verstappen's shunt into the side of Russell was like a sim race, or like iRacing, or like Mario Kart, or whatever. That line of joke got old before the top three hit the cool-down room. Find a new bit.

F1 HEADLINES: FIA issue late penalty verdict as Max Verstappen disqualification demanded at Spanish Grand Prix

Max Verstappen Mercedes Sky Sports Spanish Grand Prix