The controversy created by Max Verstappen when he slammed into George Russell late in the Spanish Grand Prix overshadowed an extraordinary achievement by Nico Hulkenberg

Max Verstappen's frustration came to the boil once again during his latest clash with George Russell, just as it did when he threatened to retire.

BARCELONA, Spain — In a year in which McLaren has emerged as Formula One’s dominant team with a brilliant car and two outstanding drivers, Max Verstappen’s efforts to stay in the hunt for the World Championship must be applauded.

OPINION: Max Verstappen is close to being the perfect Formula 1 driver – but the Spanish Grand Prix has exposed an old

Max Verstappen rammed into George Russell in the final laps of the Spanish Grand Prix, earning himself a penalty, as the McLaren driver joked he does the same on Mario Kart

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George Russell (Mercedes) and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) round out the top five starting positions, and are fourth and sixth in the standings, respectively. Tune in to ESPN on Sunday morning to see who wins the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix. You can live stream all of the action with FuboTV.

Verstappen’s stern message comes after pictures of a damaged orange cone went viral on social media during the Spanish Grand Prix, whose main race is set to take place at Barcelona’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday.