On Instagram, the Red Bull Racing driver writes: “We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, till the safety car came out.” Verstappen was then put on hard tires, after which he fell back.

In doing so, Verstappen had to defend against Charles Leclerc and George Russell. He apologises for the fight with the latter: “Our tyre choice to the end and some moves after the safety car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened. I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal.”

After the race on Sunday, Verstappen was still convinced that he would not apologise. He also expressed no regret for his actions. Now, the Red Bull Racing driver has retracted those statements.