Max Verstappen’s Spanish GP Meltdown Sparks Criticism From Guenther Steiner
Max Verstappen’s turbulent finish at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix has stirred sharp criticism from former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who claimed the Red Bull star “lost his mind” in the final laps of the race. Starting from P3 behind the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Verstappen initially surged into second but later dropped back after Norris reclaimed the position. Despite a strategic switch to a three-stop plan, Verstappen’s podium hopes faded after a late safety car.
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With fresh hard tires and only a few laps left, Verstappen found himself under intense pressure from Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Leclerc overtook him cleanly, but Verstappen’s on-track altercation with Russell became the flashpoint. As Russell attempted to pass, the two made contact, and Verstappen, clearly irate, appeared to retaliate by bumping the Mercedes in Turn 1.
On the Red Flags podcast, Steiner didn’t mince words:
> “Panic, maybe, is the wrong word, but I think he lost his mind there… He was so upset about the tyres they put him on… he got sideways at the restart, caught the car, but mentally he was done. It was weird because he’s temperamental, but not like this.”
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The aftermath was swift. Verstappen received a 10-second penalty and three penalty points on his FIA superlicense—bringing him uncomfortably close to a race ban.
Verstappen later acknowledged his mistake, taking to Instagram to express regret:
> “Some moves after the safety car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened… I always give everything for the team, and emotions can run high.”
As he heads to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, where he’s previously won three times consecutively, Verstappen will look to bounce back—not just on the standings, but in discipline.