Max Verstappen may have escaped Barcelona with just a 10-second time penalty, but former world champion Nico Rosberg believes the Red Bull star should have been disqualified from the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix entirely for what he labelled “intentional retaliation” against George Russell.
The incident unfolded in the final laps of the race after a late Safety Car compressed the field. As Verstappen struggled on the hard tyres — the only compound Red Bull had left — he became embroiled in a tense multi-car battle.
Charles Leclerc passed him at the restart, and Russell soon followed with an aggressive move into Turn 1 that forced Verstappen off track.
Although the Dutchman rejoined ahead of the Mercedes driver, his engineer instructed him to return the position, citing that Russell was sufficiently alongside. Verstappen was clearly unhappy with the call, and what followed shocked many — including Rosberg.
“He waited and rammed him”
As Russell attempted another pass into Turn 5, Verstappen seemed to leave space before diving back inside and colliding with the Mercedes.
Stewards deemed the move Verstappen’s fault and handed him a 10-second penalty, dropping him from fifth to tenth in the final classification.
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Rosberg, speaking on Sky Sports F1, was emphatic in his assessment of the move and its consequences.
“The first one was George’s fault because he went in too hot, oversteered out and tapped Max who then had to use the escape road. That’s not the way to do the pass,” said Rosberg.
“Red Bull messed up by saying let George pass. That really annoyed Max because he knows George rammed him off.
“In Max’s eyes he’s like 100 per cent in the right. ‘Why are you telling me to do this, watch this I will show you what he did’, slowed down and rammed into him which is even worse.”
Comparing it to Sebastian Vettel’s clash with Lewis Hamilton in Baku 2017, Rosberg argued that Verstappen’s behaviour met the threshold for a black flag — the most severe penalty in Formula 1, meaning immediate disqualification.
“It looked like a very intentional retaliation. Wait for the opponent, go ramming into him, just like you felt the other guy rammed into you at Turn 1,” Rosberg said. “That’s something which is extremely unacceptable and I think the rules would be a black flag yes.”
The 10-second sanction sparked debate throughout the paddock. Some viewed it as sufficient, while others, including Rosberg and fellow pundits, felt the FIA missed an opportunity to set a firmer precedent regarding sportsmanship and driving standards.
Verstappen, for his part, brushed aside questions about the incident after the race, telling Sky Sports: “Does it matter? … I prefer to speak about the race rather than one single moment.”
The controversy overshadowed an otherwise dominant performance from Oscar Piastri, who led a McLaren 1-2 and extended his championship lead over teammate Lando Norris.
Verstappen, now fourth in the Driver Standings, faces a growing deficit and increasing scrutiny as the season heads toward its midpoint.
