Marko: Verstappen warranted FIA's reprimand at the Spanish GP.

      "That was a significant error in judgment."

      On June 4 (GMM), Dr. Helmut Marko acknowledged that Max Verstappen should have been penalized for his controversial and seemingly intentional collision with George Russell in Barcelona. The four-time world champion showed no remorse immediately following the incident, but he later admitted on social media that it was "not right." Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also mentioned that Verstappen, 27, had "apologized" to the team.

      During an appearance on Servus TV, the Red Bull advisor and Verstappen's mentor, Marko, 82, confirmed that the Dutch driver "suddenly accelerated again" after initially slowing down to allow Russell to pass. "That was a serious misjudgment," the Austrian remarked. "He was already in conflict with Russell," Marko explained. "Due to the incidents and poor decisions, Max’s emotions got the better of him.

      "Taking some time to think it over certainly helped. When Max is in that mood, it’s best to leave him alone." Regarding whether Verstappen should have apologized, Marko stated: "He apologized later. And that was, of course, the right thing to do."

      On Sunday, the FIA promptly issued a 10-second time penalty and added three points to Verstappen’s super license, bringing him just one point away from a mandatory race ban. Marko deemed the penalties as "appropriate." However, he denied that Verstappen is at risk of missing a race. "It won’t happen that he behaves poorly in Canada and then doesn’t start in Austria," Marko asserted. "He’s a racer who knows his limits."

      Some believe Verstappen was just as frustrated with Red Bull as with anyone else in Spain, particularly after being equipped with hard tires post-pitstop. Pirelli’s Mario Isola agreed with Red Bull that the old soft tire—used by Verstappen during qualifying and his laps to the grid—was not a viable option. "This is the set of tires that has faced the hardest wear in its previous use," remarked the Italian.

      Marko, however, acknowledged that the team should not have pitted Verstappen. "The only remaining option was the hard tire," he noted, "but using it was a mistake. The alternative was to stay out. McLaren would have overtaken us, but we could have kept (Charles) Leclerc behind."

      Marko pointed out a larger concern: McLaren's advancing lead in the 2025 world championships. "Currently, Max doesn’t have a car with which he can win the championship," he said. "He’s the only one capable of handling that car. If everything aligns perfectly, we’ll be as fast as McLaren—but that’s only every third or fourth race. McLaren is consistently competitive. We’re not giving up yet, but it will be challenging."

      Finally, Marko, alongside Horner, dismissed the notion that Verstappen is purposely sabotaging his chances to activate a contract exit clause. "There are some outlandish theories," he said. "And it’s not what Max desires. It’s absurd. If he wanted, he could already take different actions."