Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton reflect on the F1 Brazil GP incident as the two still have no trust between themselves to race cleanly.
The F1 Brazil GP was a unique weekend, where there was a debut pole man and a new race winner too but it was overshadowed still by other news. While the Red Bull team orders saga took the headlines, an incident between Verstappen and Hamilton also took some space away from Kevin Magnussen and George Russell’s achievements.
The Dutchman was handed a 5 second penalty for the collision with the Brit going into Senna S sequence with Verstappen on the inside and on the kerb while Hamilton was on the outside turning to the right when they touched.
It might also be deemed that it cost Hamilton a race win perhaps but still, the Brackley team broke their duck for 2022. It was another moment between last seasons top two men, who in fairness haven’t had much racing against each other this year but judging by Brazil, there’s still no trust among the two regarding wheel-to-wheel racing.
Here’s what Verstappen had to say:
Incident with Hamilton –
Verstappen: “Well, to be honest, I went around the outside and in Turn 1. And then when we were like, I just felt it soon as I was going next to him. He was he had no intention to leave me space. As okay, if you don’t leave me space, are we just going to collide? You know, at the end of the day, we were too slow. Anyway, for him, it ruined his chance to win the race. Of course, after the safety car he had an opportunity, but I thought after last year, we maybe forget about it, we can finally race you know, because first of all, when I went side by side, I thought okay, let’s have a good race here. But then I mean, you feel it with a driver if he’s going to leave his space or not. And there was zero intention to leave me space.”
Penalty –
Verstappen: “Well, I didn’t expect the penalty. But you know, at the time we collided, I was like “well okay, we collided” I mean, I knew that I was not going to win the race. So it doesn’t matter”.”
Surprised by it –
Verstappen: “To be honest, I was surprised when I got the five second penalty. I mean, I was not upset. But if you asked me, ‘would I do it again?’ Absolutely. I was, well, I can say 85% alongside, and my intention is never to crash. But I could feel he was just not going to leave me the space into that corner. And then yeah, we collide. I mean, if he would have just moved a little bit, he probably would have stayed ahead anyway. And it’s a shame I want to race I want to have a good fight, but when the other one doesn’t want to work with you. And then the rules. Honestly, it’s so confusing how far you need to be alongside or whatever they are judging to be alongside. Yeah, then you get these kinds of things. And honestly, then we take the five second penalty, I want to race and I thought we were racing.”
Hamilton needed to move a bit –
Verstappen: “Because I was quite alongside.”
Racing line, etc –
Verstappen: “We’re going alongside so it’s not like I’m not there. No, you cannot just turn in. I didn’t turn into him. I was trying to make the corner. I didn’t turn to the right.”
Here’s what Hamilton had to say:
Verstappen incident and fall out –
Hamilton: “I don’t really have much of an opinion about it, to be honest. For me, all I thought in that moment was that I thought the car would have to retire. Because I felt something, the rear wasn’t feeling the same after that. And for me, it was like, I was going to lose the team the one-two. And so like, all I could think of. So I was driving over across the grass, back onto the track and all I could think of was how can I get back to giving the team that incredible result. So just for me, it’s kind of, again, not how you fall, it’s how you get back up. And I’m proud of the job we’ve all done and huge congratulations to George”.
Another incident with him in a fairly clean 2022 –
Hamilton: “I’m not concerned. Yeah, don’t have any concerns, I think. I think it’s natural when you have the success and the numbers on your chest, that you become a bit of a target. But it’s okay. It’s nothing that I have not dealt with before.”
Here’s collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2022-sao-paulo-grand-prix-hamilton-and-verstappen-make-contact-after-safety-car-restart-at-interlagos.1749407575435031151.html
Here’s Red Bull trio on team orders situation
Here’s how F1 Brazil GP panned out