Norbert Haug, former team boss of Mercedes, criticizes the statement that Max Verstappen released after the Spanish Grand Prix. After the Dutchman deliberately collided with George Russell during the final stages of the race, he shared a message on his Instagram page on Monday. The gist? ‘This should not have happened.’ Haug refers to it as ‘PR babble’ and is still waiting for a sincere apology.
“I was completely taken aback,” Haug told the German branch of Sky Sports. “I couldn’t believe that someone would behave like that,” he said about the incident between Max Verstappen and George Russell. According to experts, the Red Bull driver deliberately accelerated in turn five, pushing the Englishman off the racing line. “This should not have happened,” Verstappen later stated on Instagram. “That’s not an apology, that’s PR babble,” Haug retorted. “For me, there’s a clear difference between an admission of guilt and an apology.”
‘Sorry, George’
“Simply stating that you did something you shouldn’t have done does not show remorse and has nothing to do with offering apologies,” Haug explained. “For me, there are still two simple words missing at the end: ‘Sorry, George.’ And perhaps he could also apologize to the stewards. That message on Instagram is a good start, but a good ending makes everything right – as we all know.”
According to the former Mercedes executive, Max Verstappen lacks some insight and sense of responsibility at this point. “He (Verstappen) is someone you admire – and rightly so,” concluded Haug. “He is absolutely the best driver at the moment, and he has been for a long time. But you also have to behave accordingly.”
Former Mercedes executive Norbert Haug criticizes the statement that Max Verstappen released after the Spanish Grand Prix.
