F1 rivals Max Verstappen and George Russell dodge tense exchange after clash

George Russell and Max Verstappen — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen and Russell dodge tense exchange after F1 clash

Max Verstappen and George Russell clashed on track at the Spanish GP

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 16 June 2025 11:57

Max Verstappen and George Russell have issued an update on their relationship at the Canadian Grand Prix after the F1 rivals were recently involved in a collision.

The four-time world champion was given a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points at the Spanish GP, where he appeared to purposefully collide into the side of Russell’s Mercedes.

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Verstappen’s move prompted criticism from Russell after the race, where he stated that the champion set a bad example for children watching and claimed he had never seen a move like it in F1.

However, the Brit’s attitude towards Verstappen appeared to have softened at the Canadian GP, with the Mercedes star revealing how the pair dodged a potentially tense exchange at the airport after the race in Barcelona.

"No issues from my side, it obviously would have been a different feeling had it taken me out of the race but ultimately I benefited from it and he was penalised," Russell said to the media in Montreal.

"I was a bit surprised to see he’d taken responsibility, but I haven’t spoken to him about it. We actually bumped into each other at the airport the other day, but I actually completely forgot we crashed into each other a few days prior."

Has Verstappen and Russell's F1 feud quietened down?

Verstappen also issued an update on his relationship with Russell heading into Montreal, confirming their airport encounter.

"We saw each other because we were both travelling out, so you know all good," Verstappen reported.

The Dutchman also seemed keen to move on from the incident and admitted he has learnt from his mistake in Barcelona.

"You know we all live and learn right? I explained immediately on the Monday my view. So we just move on and try to have a good weekend here [in Canada]," Verstappen concluded.

Despite seeming at peace with one another before Sunday's Canadian GP, things were soon stirred up again after Russell schooled the Dutchman by stealing pole position for the main event.

Verstappen was already aware he had to be on his best behaviour in Canada, with the champion one penalty point away from receiving a race ban.

This weakness was an element Russell played on ahead of the race, taunting his rival after achieving pole, declaring: "I've got a few more points on my licence to play with" when asked how he would approach Turn 1 with Verstappen just one place behind him.

The tension between Red Bull and Mercedes then became a frequent topic of discussion in Canada as Christian Horner's team took issue with Russell's driving under safety car conditions at the end of the race.

Red Bull then lodged a post-race protest over the incident, but as no new evidence was submitted, the Mercedes star's victory in Canada remained intact, with the race at Red Bull's home track the next opportunity for the pair to settle their rivalry.