With the benefit of hindsight, this was one of two mistakes Red Bull made in the Spanish Grand Prix.
After the stewards launched an inquiry into the Verstappen-Russell incident in Turn One, Red Bull decided to order Verstappen to give the place back.
Team principal Christian Horner said the decision was based “on recent experience and looking at recent incidents”.
Verstappen had kept fourth position by taking to the escape road after the two had made light contact while Russell tried a passing move. He believed he was justified in keeping the place because he felt the Mercedes driver had barged him off the track.
Horner said Red Bull had contacted FIA race control and received nothing back and that, as it had gone to the stewards, “it looked for all intents and purposes that it was going to be a penalty”.
Horner added: “The argument is, was George under control at that point in time? Would he have made the corner? We’ve seen so many occasions this year where penalties have been given.
“You’re expecting to get a penalty, so that’s why it was, ‘OK, do you know what? We’re going to have to give this place up.'”
The stewards’ verdict was published some time after the race. It said that Russell had “momentarily lost control of the car and collided” with Verstappen, who “did not deliberately leave the track”. As a result, it said, they took no further action.
In other words, in their view, Verstappen could have justifiably kept the place.
There are two parts of the racing guidelines in play here. To be entitled to be given space – ie, to have been judged to have won the corner – the driver overtaking on the inside has to have his front axle “at least alongside the mirror of the other car prior to and at the apex”.
Russell seems to have complied with this.
But the car must also “be driven in a fully controlled manner particularly from entry to apex”.
This, the stewards decided, Russell had not. And that was also Verstappen’s opinion.
Horner said: “With hindsight, was it a mistake? Yeah, but I think that’s where it would be nice, as the referee, as a race director, to either say, ‘Play on,’ or ‘you need to give it back.’ It’s very hard for the team, subjectively, to try and make that call, because you’re going on historical precedents.”
The second decision Red Bull got wrong, Horner admitted, was the decision to pit Verstappen for fresh hard tyres under the safety car, one that Verstappen immediately questioned vociferously once he was back on track.
Horner acknowledged they should have left him out on his soft tyres. “He would have got passed by the two McLarens. Would he have got passed by (Charles) Leclerc? But you can only go with the information you have to hand.”
