During the final stages, a frustrated Max Verstappen was asked by Gianpiero Lambiase to hand back a position to George Russell, after the Briton tried to dive down the inside of the Red Bull driver into Turn 1 and Verstappen left the track. The stewards then also ruled there was no need for Verstappen to give back that place.

While handing back the position however, the Dutchman collided with the Mercedes driver, receiving a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points on his super license, meaning he is one point away from a suspension.

Talking to Sky Sports Deutschland, Haug shared his thoughts on the incident. “I was totally astonished. I couldn't believe someone would act like that. He did apologise, but the entire situation needs to be reevaluated,” he began.

According to Haug, Verstappen's apology fell short of what he expected of him. “Two simple words were missing: 'Sorry, George.' He should have also apologized to the stewards. This just should not have happened.”

Haug, long-time vice-president at Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, says that Verstappen has to act like a role model. “He is the best driver today, without a doubt. And you must behave accordingly.”

On the Monday after the Spanish Grand Prix, the defending world champion shared a post on Instagram reflecting on what took place in Barcelona. He wrote: "We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, till the safety car came out. 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."

This article was written in collaboration with Nicole Mulder