In what was the most challenging championship year for Verstappen, the Abu Dhabi race offered no silver lining. Instead, it became one to forget, marred by the lap-one contact with Piastri. After an excellent start from fourth on the grid, Verstappen attempted to exploit an opening at Turn 1. However, as Piastri closed his line, the space disappeared, leading to unavoidable contact. Despite Verstappen’s effort to steer onto the inside curb to avoid the collision, both drivers suffered consequences, with Verstappen spinning down to 13th and Piastri relegated to the back of the field.
“My start was good, and I tried to move to the inside, but I quickly realized the gap was closing. I wanted to back out because I didn’t want to touch Oscar,” Verstappen explained. Nevertheless, the incident occurred, drawing criticism from McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who lamented its potential impact on the Constructors’ Championship.
Race officials handed Verstappen a 10-second penalty, a decision he found hard to digest. Verstappen jokingly suggested the penalty should have been harsher: “I expected maybe 20 seconds, 30 seconds, or a stop-and-go! Perhaps we should discuss this next time.”
After the race, Verstappen immediately apologized to Oscar Piastri, emphasizing that the collision was unintentional: “I’ve already apologized to Oscar. This is not what you want, especially not with him. He’s a great guy. It was just an unfortunate event.”
Reflecting on the situation, Verstappen noted that drivers in such moments focus primarily on cars ahead: “When starting from the front rows, you never look behind. I went for the inside but realized he wouldn’t see me, so I tried to back out, but we still collided.”
During the race, Verstappen called the stewards “idiots” over the radio, a comment criticized by Helmut Marko as undiplomatic. Post-race, Verstappen continued to joke about the penalty but admitted he no longer understands how sanctions are determined: “Obviously, it’s my fault, but I don’t understand penalties anymore. It’s fine, though. I won’t waste my time being angry about it. The most important thing was apologizing to Oscar.”
Verstappen also received two penalty points on his super license, bringing his total to eight. With points set to expire in June, he will remain just four points away from a potential suspension. When asked about this, Verstappen quipped: “That’ll be my paternity leave,” referencing his upcoming fatherhood.
Looking back at the season, the Abu Dhabi GP marked Verstappen’s final outing with the RB20, a car he had a love-hate relationship with. Although dominant early in the championship, the RB20 faced challenges in development, balance issues, and a narrow performance window, particularly evident in Qatar. These difficulties intensified competition with McLaren and Ferrari as the season progressed.
When asked what he most anticipated about the winter break after a long year, Verstappen humorously replied: “Not having to drive the RB20 anymore!”
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