Source: REUTERS/Florion Goga
[Saba Sports News] During the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, an incident occurred between Max Verstappen of the Red Bull Racing team and George Russell of Mercedes. This accident has drawn attention from multiple aspects. Although Verstappen apologized to the team afterward, his apology lacked a direct apology to Russell. Recently, former F1 driver Norbert Haug criticized Verstappen for being insincere in his apology because his apology did not include the simplest phrase, “I’m sorry, Russell.” He believed Verstappen needed to say, “I apologize for my inappropriate actions to Russell, the FIA, and the fans,” and emphasized that the revered top driver should live up to his status. I think a complete and sincere apology usually should include a direct apology to the harmed party, clearly expressing regret and respect for the other person. Lacking this key element makes it easy to feel insincerity. The criticism from the legends has a reasonable basis in this regard.