Max Verstappen has been handed a three-place grid penalty for the next Formula 1 race after he was found “predominantly to blame” for the crash with Lewis Hamilton at the Italian GP.
Verstappen will have to serve his penalty at the Russian GP on September 26 as stewards, following a post-race investigation, ruled that he caused the collision that ended both the championship rivals’ races.
The two drivers came together on Lap 27 of the Monza race after Verstappen, attempting to pass Hamilton around the outside of Turn 1 of the first chicane and the inside of Turn 2, hit a kerb and shunted into the Mercedes.
His Red Bull then landed on top of Hamilton, who was thankfully protected by the Halo safety device, before both cars ended beached in the gravel.
Some crash …
That would have been a “fatal” in th’ole days …
Well, if I had to call it I would have said lewis was to blame, I thought he didn’t give max enough room, but the stewards saw it differently, they do have access to all sorts of data and camera angles , so I guess they saw something…
I have seen the clip & I am no fan of either Lewis or Max & would have said it was a racing incident.
Lewis was entitled to defend his marginal lead, but was on brand new tyres, so he was going to be slightly slower than Max, who was entitled to overtake & seemed to bounce off the yellow (or was it orange?) kerb.
Both Max & Lewis have a history of forceful overtaking, so not a surprising result.
@Gee3 , Don’t forget Lewis was just exiting the pit lane ??
He did’nt have a lead to defend, Max was passing the pit lane exit at high
speed, Lewis did move out past the pit lane white line to where Max was
aiming at to negotiate the chicane??
So a racing incident for me !!
Donkeyman!
With respect DK, after the white line, Hammy is permitted onto the circuit and he cut across but Verstappen still had space after turn 2 Hammy was ahead on the inside line and Verstappen hit the curb and flew upwards over Hammy!
I have never raced cars, but I used to race motorcycles, including doing endurance racing where pit stops are needed. The concept of a lead is your front wheel in front of his, regardless of if you are coming out of the pit lane or not. But as you say the fact that Hamilton was leaving the pit lane made him slower & it put him on colder & slower tyres.
Both drivers are overly aggressive at times & both had issues that put them in the right. But I really did not see anything that put either one of them more in the wrong, than the other.
For me, the bounce Max had off the kerb was beyond his control. Both drivers were pushing very hard, both were equally to blame for the final consequences. But ultimately the stewards have the final say & if they say it was Max, then they are the ones with all the facts.
@Gee3 , Exactly my opinion too Gee !!
After all , you wouldnt enter a motor way by ignoring a ten ton lorry because
your front wheels were just in front of his would you??
If the rules state that then they need changing ??
Donkeyman!
That’s the way that I see it also. Both drivers were driving dangerously and neither was going to give way. Both drivers should have been relegated to the back of the grid for the next race.
I was very disappointed with Max when he didn’t check that Lewis was okay. Despite Max thinking that Lewis was trying to reverse out and must have been safe. It seems Max has got quite a temper…
