A “huge story” has been made out of Max Verstappen’s Spanish Grand Prix actions and words just because it was “not quite convenient”, with Jan Lammers saying it is time to move forward.

Verstappen courted controversy last time out at the Spanish Grand Prix when he clattered into George Russell in a move that had pundit Nico Rosberg calling for a “black flag”.

Max Verstappen is one penalty point away from a race ban

Verstappen lined up third for the lap 61 restart, but did so on the hard Pirelli tyres as those were the only new ones available to him.

Charles Leclerc immediately attacked him into Turn 1, with Russell intent on capitalising. At the opening right-hander, Verstappen and Russell bumped tyres with the Dutchman using the escape road before rejoining ahead of the Brit.

He was told by Red Bull to give the position to the Mercedes driver.

The reigning World Champion appeared to slow into Turn 5 on Lap 64, allowing Russell to come up alongside him. He then accelerated once more, hitting the Mercedes.

Nico Rosberg, who was a guest pundit on Sky F1, claimed it was done on “purpose” and called for Verstappen to be black-flagged. He doubled down on that, calling it “very intentional retaliation” that deserved a “black flag”.

Russell also said it felt “very deliberate” to him, while Lando Norris called it “Mario Kart”.

Even one of Verstappen’s staunchest defenders, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, was baffled.

More on Max Verstappen’s Spanish GP antics

👉 Data exposes bizarre Max Verstappen action in George Russell clash

👉 F1 penalty points: Verstappen dangerously close to race ban after Russell clash

He told ServusTV: “I don’t know what kind of misjudgment or thought process was going on inside him. And then, as they say, all hell broke loose.”

Verstappen subsequently held up his hand as he admitted it was a “move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened”, but that hasn’t done much to silence the criticism or the headlines.

Dutch racing driver and Ziggo Sport pundit Jan Lammers believes that’s because it is Max Verstappen.

“Because it’s Max, we’re making a huge story out of this,” he told Ziggo’s De Stamtafel.

“Just look at the past at some of the reactions of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, or Yuki Tsunoda, which make you think: what kind of story is this?

“Now we have Max, who does something that is not quite convenient and says something afterwards that is not very convenient. Well, big deal. Fast forward, next lap.

“Everything he does and has done, he does with conviction,” he added. “He drives and the referee whistles.”

Verstappen’s antics not only earned a 10-second penalty that dropped him from fifth to tenth at the chequered flag, he was also given three penalty points on his super licence.

That puts him just one away from a race ban.

F1 regulations state that any driver who earns 12 penalty points over a 12-month rolling period has an automatic one-race ban. None of Verstappen’s exiting points come off until after the Austrian Grand Prix, leaving him to survive two races with a clean sheet or score a free weekend at the “zoo” – as the Dutchman described his household after the arrival of baby Lily.

“Everything is going well, everything is fine,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “It’s really a zoo at home now. The cat and the dog find it all interesting. The cat keeps trying to jump into the stroller. Then you have to keep a bit of distance from it.”

Lammers believes the driver will be fine.

“At the end of June, two penalty points will also expire. I think it won’t be too bad,” he said.

Lammers was also critical of Red Bull’s decision to put Verstappen onto the hard Pirelli tyres for the restart, saying he understands the driver’s frustration as he was pushing his RB21 beyond its capabilities only to be undone by the strategy call.

“There was also another point that played a role,” Lammers explained. “Let’s not forget that Max was bizarre before that Safety Car. Look where Yuki Tsunoda was driving and where Max Verstappen was driving.

“Tsunoda is a very good driver, but next to Max that is put into perspective. Max actually does something that normally can’t be done, namely that he still had a chance of winning

“If Max had known that he would get hard tyres, he would absolutely not have done this. I can’t imagine that. The fact that Max asks why he is driving on that hard tyre makes it very clear that he would not have done this if he had the choice. He had driven seven laps on that soft tyre, and if you know that you still have five laps to do after the Safety Car…

“You can already do a much better restart with those soft tyres. Max is then in possession of the ball. He can do a fantastic restart with those soft tyres, and hope that he wins a lap with them. After that, you can make it very difficult for people.”

Scoring a solitary point in Spain, Verstappen dropped 49 points behind championship leader and Spanish GP winner Oscar Piastri.

Read next: ‘All hell broke loose’ – Marko breaks his silence on Verstappen’s Spanish GP meltdown