Hamilton: Verstappen didn't leave me enough space in F1 British GP clash
Lewis Hamilton insists Max Verstappen did not leave him enough room during their controversial clash at Formula 1’s British Grand Prix.
The world champion and his Red Bull rival were fighting for the lead on the opening lap of the Silverstone race, when Hamilton got a run on Verstappen down into Copse corner, and darted for the inside before pulling alongside the Dutchman.
But Verstappen stood his ground around the outside, and the pair clashed – with Hamilton’s left front tagging Verstappen’s right rear.
Verstappen was pitched into the barriers at high speed in a shunt that Red Bull estimated had a 51G impact and he was later taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
Speaking after grabbing a victory in the race, despite being given a 10-second penalty for the Verstappen incident, Hamilton was adamant he had done nothing wrong.
"I've been giving my all this past week," reflected Hamilton. "I've been in the factory just giving absolutely everything.
"I've been trying to uncover performance for the car with the guys and I'm so proud of everyone for just continuing to work, even though we've had a bit of a deficit.
"Of course, I always try to be measured in how I approach things, particularly with battling with Max. You know he's very aggressive.
"And then today, I mean I was fully alongside him, and he didn't leave me space.
"But regardless of whether I agree with the penalty, I'll take it on the chin and I just kept working. I was like 'I'm not going to let anything get in the way'."
The car of Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, is returned to the garage on a truck under a tarpaulin
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
While Hamilton insists he did nothing wrong, Red Bull has been left furious about the crash, as it urged the FIA to take further action against Hamilton for the incident.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, said: "If a competitor massively touches our rear wheel with his front wheel, then that's no longer a racing accident in the fastest corner of the course. That is negligent to dangerous behaviour."
He went on to suggest that Hamilton should face the wrath of a more serious sanction, including a potential race ban.
"You can't do that with the normal sporting code,” added Marko. “I don't know what the maximum penalty would be, but such dangerous and reckless behaviour should be punished with a suspension or something."
Related video
Previous article
Grand Prix race results: Hamilton wins F1 British GP
Next article
Leclerc: "200%" not enough to beat Hamilton in F1 British GP
How We'll Know If F1's Sprint Races Worked
Virtual Onboard - Silverstone GP
The signs that suggest Mercedes can win the Silverstone F1 race
Red Bull and Max Verstappen scored an early blow against Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes at Silverstone, with sprint qualifying race victory. But that doesn’t mean Sunday’s grand prix is a foregone conclusion. Although Verstappen starts as the favourite, here’s why Mercedes still holds hope of winning
Uncovering Silverstone's engineering secrets for F1 success
Formula 1 returns to Silverstone this weekend, but despite its familiarity to all the teams it is no picnic. Here are five of the key points for engineers to consider prior to the British Grand Prix
The changing faces of F1’s British GP conquerors
The British Grand Prix is where the world championship began in 1950. STUART CODLING looks at six of Formula 1's era-defining cars which have all scored memorable victories in its original race
The ‘special relationship’ Ferrari will hope to exploit at Silverstone
OPINION: Ferrari might have snubbed the very first world championship race on British soil but the Scuderia and the UK went on to enjoy some deep connections. As BEN EDWARDS explains, theirs is a shared history that is waiting for its next chapter to be written...
When driver aids have the opposite effect
They're the tools that a driver can rely on to get them out of a fix, but driver aids don't always make their lives easier. As Lewis Hamilton's accidental application of the Mercedes 'magic button' in Baku demonstrates, there can be a downside to driver aids
How Stroll plans to build Aston Martin into F1 world champions
The transformation from modest Racing Point to powerhouse Aston Martin is well underway under the stewardship of Lawrence Stroll and his healthy chequebook, all with the sole focus on one goal: becoming Formula 1 world champions
The political manoeuvring behind F1's return to British GP normality
OPINION: Formula 1 heads back to Silverstone this weekend for the 2021 British Grand Prix, where a full-capacity crowd will return after a painful absence in the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Here’s how the pieces that permitted a part of returning ‘normal’ life were arranged
The champion traits that Hamilton will draw on in Mercedes’ sternest test
Lewis Hamilton has swept all before him in recent seasons, becoming F1’s most successful driver ever. Building himself into the ultimate grand prix winning machine wasn’t the work of a moment, and the traits he has picked up along the way will prove crucial in his 2021 battle with Max Verstappen, as BEN ANDERSON explains
