Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen took on a defiant - and dismissive tone - in talking about his late-race Spanish Grand Prix collision with George Russell, but did eventually push back against the suggestion the clash had been deliberate.
A late-restart melee, with Verstappen struggling on the less-performant hard tyres against Charles Leclerc and Russell on softs, led to Verstappen cutting the Turn 1 run-off and staying ahead of Russell, after which his Red Bull team advised him to give the position back.
He looked to be doing so at Turn 4, but then attacked the corner just as Russell drew marginally ahead on the outside, hitting and crowding out Russell's Mercedes into Turn 5.
This resulted in a 10-second penalty and Verstappen, who did finally let Russell back through properly later in the lap, dropped down to 10th in the finishing order.
The four-time F1 champion took issue with questions about the nature of the crash that were asked of him in his various post-race media commitments.
He told Sky Sports "does it matter?" when asked whether the crash was intentional, and insisted that "I prefer to speak about the race rather than just one single moment".
And when told the move was taking the shine off his recent performances, he said: "Is it? OK. That's your opinion. We'll leave it there."
Verstappen was likewise uninterested in detailed answers over the incident when talking to the written media. When told Sky F1 pundit Nico Rosberg, the 2016 F1 champion, felt the collision looked deliberate and should've led to a disqualification, Verstappen said: "That's his opinion. Everyone can have their opinion."
But he did finally engage when told it looked deliberate from the TV angles, saying: "No, I think it was a misjudgment."
Of what led up to the incident - the Turn 1 run-in with Russell that prompted Red Bull to advise Verstappen to give the position back - he said: "On the straight I got driven into already [by Leclerc] and then into Turn 1 as well [by Russell].
"Then they told me to give the position back. Honestly I think the biggest issue we have is just the racing standards and what is allowed and what isn't is not very natural. And that is quite frustrating. And sometimes that works for you and sometimes that works against you and today that worked against me."
It has come out since, through a stewards' verdict, that Verstappen would've been let off for taking to the run-off at Turn 1 even if he hadn't given the position back.
More on Verstappen's Barcelona antics
- Verstappen on brink of race ban
- Russell's incredulous take on it
- Verstappen committed needless self-sabotage
In any case, Verstappen dismissed the suggestion that the lost points - nine points as it stands, given the 10-second penalty dropped him from fifth at the flag to 10th in the classification - was meaningful in the championship picture.
"I never said that I was in a championship fight, first of all," he insisted. "Every race so far has been tough. When they [McLaren] get their things right, they're unbeatable. And I think that's been quite clear this season."
As for the decision to swap him from used softs to new hards - a "really poor" tyre - for that final restart, Verstappen said it needs "analysing" and that up to then Red Bull had been doing everything right with strategy.
"I thought maybe it [the hard] could have been a bit better but it wasn't, especially with six laps left, everyone can go flat-out on a soft and you're just grip limited compared to everyone else."
In the session with Verstappen
Josh Suttill
You'd hardly expect Max Verstappen to show any remorse, given his unshakable belief in his ability.
In fact extracting what Verstappen thought of the incident at all took some work.
First question. ‘What do you make of Russell's belief that you're setting a bad example to young kids?'
Verstappen's reply?
Simply "OK, well, I'll bring some tissues next time."
When asked to talk through the incident, he simply said Russell had his opinion and he had his.
It continued in that tone.
His answer to whether he has any regrets about his conduct sums up Verstappen's approach the best: "I think in life you shouldn't regret too many things, nor in F1."
As ever Verstappen wasn't in a rush to escape questions. He stood there, took every question asked of him with his usual candidness - and, much like on track, refused to give an inch.
