Russell secured pole position for Sunday with a lap time of 1:10:899, outperforming Verstappen, who lagged behind by 0.160 seconds. Last year, Russell also started on pole ahead of the Canadian GP but finished third, while Verstappen claimed victory for the third consecutive year.
In recent years, both drivers have frequently clashed on the track, and that occurred again during the Spanish GP two weeks ago when the reigning world champion received a 10-second time penalty. This also added three more points to his total, bringing it to 11. If he accumulates one more by the end of June, he could face a race ban altogether.
Verstappen acknowledged that his behavior was inappropriate, but he asserted that he wouldn’t be altering his natural driving style in Canada or Austria later this month.
“We’re friends, it’s all good,” Russell joked. “I’ve got a few more points on my license to manage.”
“We’re both in it to win, and neither of us is really in a championship contention,” he said. “I haven’t got a win this year, so I’m eager to get one. Time will tell.”
Verstappen has moved past the incident and even pushed back against the media for continuously asking about it throughout race week.
“I don’t want to hear it again. It’s really annoying,” he said. “You guys were discussing it on Thursday. It’s a waste of time. It’s very childish. That’s why I don’t want to say much because it’s frustrating, this media landscape we inhabit.”
Russell somewhat defended Verstappen, indicating that both drivers have moved on from their disagreements.
“No driver intends to crash into someone and rack up penalty points. Max is among the best drivers. There’s no reason for him to change his racing, and I don’t believe he’ll give us more space,” Russell noted. “If anything, it might be the opposite as he tries to make a point.
“So I’ll be vigilant, but ultimately, we’re here to win. You wouldn’t do anything to risk your race. It’s a hectic season. A race ban means time at home, which isn’t ideal, but it’s not catastrophic.”
Verstappen’s troubles in Barcelona set him back significantly in the championship race. He earned just one point, placing him at 137 points in the drivers’ standings—49 behind leader Oscar Piastri and 39 behind second-placed Lando Norris. After the Spanish GP, he remarked that he isn’t in running for a fifth consecutive title, but on Saturday asserted that he is focusing on one race at a time with 15 more rounds still to compete in the 2025 season.
First Published: Jun 15, 2025 5:56 PM IST
