Raging Max Verstappen slams ‘disrespectful and unsportsmanlike’ Lewis Hamilton for celebrating his British GP win while he was in hospital… and insists their first-lap crash at Silverstone was due to the Brit making a ‘dangerous move’
- The pair were vying for the lead in a thrilling start to the race before the crash
Max Verstappen took a swipe at title rival Lewis Hamilton from hospital, accusing his celebrations after winning the British Grand Prix as ‘disrespectful’ and ‘unsportsmanlike’.
Verstappen, who went into Sunday’s race at Silverstone 33 points ahead in the title race, started pole but by Turn 9 on the opening lap here he was out of the race, clipped by Hamilton on his rear right tyre and sent into the tyre wall at 180mph.
Checks by on-site medics resulted in Verstappen being referred to a nearby hospital where he watched a feed of the race in which Hamilton claimed victory from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc two laps before the chequered flag.
Max Verstappen has angrily hit out at Lewis Hamilton after their first-lap crash at Silverstone
‘Glad I’m OK,’ the Dutchman tweeted. ‘Very disappointed with being taken out like this. The penalty given does not help us and doesn’t do justice to the dangerous move Lewis made on track.
‘Watching the celebrations while still in hospital is disrespectful and unsportsmanlike behaviour but we move on.’
Hamilton was given a 10-second time penalty as stewards determined he was to blame for the incident as he came down the inside line at Copse corner.
The Mercedes star, who cut the championship points gap to seven with victory, was labelled ‘amateur’ and ‘desperate’ by Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Asked whether he felt guilty for Verstappen’s plight, Hamilton was dismissive of the blame landing at his door.
‘That isn’t the way I ever want to win a race or to race but these things happen,’ he said. ‘As Charles (Leclerc) said, this is a racing incident.
‘Everyone will have a different opinion but I don’t really care what people think.
‘Rarely an incident is 100 per cent someone’s fault, usually it’s a mixture. There are things we can both learn.
‘Max is probably the most aggressive driver here, just my personal opinion. He does a great job, of course, but I think we have to really try and find the best balance with space and respect between one another. Then we can continue racing without colliding.’