Horner offers explanation of Verstappen's frustration at the end of Spanish GP

Horner analyzed where Verstappen’s frustration came from. “He was clearly upset because Leclerc first attacked him on the straight, and then he was divebombed by George. According to the current regulations, it all comes down to where the front axle is. The drivers know the rules and play by them.”

Horner explained that, based on the available information, the Austrian team made that decision. “The question now is, did George have control at that moment, would he have made the corner? We’ve seen so many penalties given this year already. We saw it was noted and that it went to the stewards. You then expect a penalty, so that’s why it was ‘Okay, you know what? We have to give up this position,’” Horner said.

During the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen received a ten-second time penalty which, due to the field being tightly packed because of a safety car, dropped him to tenth place. This cost the Dutchman very valuable points in the championship. While Verstappen initially didn’t have much to say about the incident, he eventually issued an apology on social media for the clash with Russell.