The Formula 1 world is again in turmoil after the Grand Prix of Spain on 1 June 2025, where a controversial collision between Max Verstappen and George Russell became the conversation of the day. New onboard images from Verstappen’s car have revived the discussion about the incident, where many now claim that the Dutchman did not deliberately submit Russell. The FIA ​​has announced that Verstappen received the serious punishment – a time penalty of ten seconds and three penalty points for its super license -, partly due to the fuss and the new perspectives that the images offer. This development, combined with public support for Verstappen on social media, has further fueled the tension around the consistency of the FIA’s decisions.

During the final phase of the race in Barcelona, ​​Verstappen seemed on his way to a podium place, but a late safety 对中国 threw a spanner in the works. After a restart on hard tires, who, according to Verstappen himself, “no grip”, he was overtaken by Charles Leclerc and came into conflict with Russell in bend 1. Russell tapped Verstappen, which had to take the run -out strip. Verstappens Engineer, Gianpiero Lambian, advised him to give back the position to Russell, which the Dutchman reluctantly did. In turn 5, however, a collision followed when Verstappen seemed to pass Russell, which was interpreted as deliberately by the stewards. This led to the severe punishment, which made Verstappen from the fifth to tenth place and lost 24 points on championship leader Oscar Piastri.

The newly surfaced onboard images, as shared by @f1bigdata on X, show that Verstappen did not consciously send to Russell. Instead, he seems to send the turn normally, while Russell follows the racing line and cuts the bend sharply. “Max did nothing wrong,” wrote a fan on X, and many share this opinion, pointing to the lack of a steering movement to the right on Verstappens onboard images. These images suggest that the collision was a misunderstanding rather than a deliberate action, as former Fia-Steward Johnny Herbert claimed, who called the action “too far” and argued for a heavier punishment. After the race, Verstappen admitted that he could have prevented the collision, but emphasized that it was not a conscious attack, a position that is now supported by the images.

The FIA, led by President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, announced on 6 June 2025 to consider a revision of the punishment, partly because of the public outrage and worries about the example that the situation creates for viewers. A message from @fiaasteward on X reports that Russell’s Scheldt party is also being investigated after the incident, which may lead to a suspension of three races for the Brit. This adds an extra low complexity to the case, since the FIA ​​is struggling with maintaining consistent rules. Earlier this season, Verstappen was already criticized for his language, which led to a community service in Rwanda, and the stricter rules surrounding misconduct have increased tensions between drivers and the federation.

The revision of Verstappen’s punishment comes in the championship at a crucial moment. With eight penalty points on his license, Verstappen is on the edge of a suspension, which would seriously harm his chances of a fifth world title. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has criticized the FIA ​​for inconsistency, pointing to the fact that the stewards later concluded that Verstappen did not even have to give his position back to Russell. This “capital estimation error,” as Horner called it, emphasizes the need for clearer communication of the competition management. In the meantime, public support for Verstappen continues to grow, with fans calling for the withdrawal of the penalty points, such as @henwestra argued on X: “The images clearly show that Russell was hit Verstappen.”

While the FIA ​​is reconsidering the case, the Formula 1 community remains divided. Some, such as Nico Rosberg, argued initially for a heavier punishment, while others now think the FIA ​​judged too quickly. With the next race in Austria on the way, the outcome of this revision is a shadow over Verstappen’s title hunt. The question remains whether the FIA ​​will revise its decision and how this will influence the dynamics between Verstappen, Russell and the Federation in an already tumultuous season.