Lewis Hamilton hit out at Max Verstappen’s overtake attempt: ‘Not a mature move’

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The rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen continues as the drivers take their title fight to Russia this weekend. The Mercedes and Red Bull men could clash once more at the Sochi Autodrom, and they have already resumed the fighting talk. Hamilton said this week he “remembers what it was like battling for my first championship” and “knows the pressure that comes with it”. But Verstappen replied sarcastically: “I am so nervous I can barely sleep! It is so horrible to fight for a title.”

He added: “If someone knows me, I am very relaxed about all those things.”

The exchange comes after they crashed at the Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago, resulting in retirement for both as McLaren secured an historic one-two.

The incident occurred on the first chicane – Verstappen’s car bounced off the curb and landed on top of Hamilton’s Mercedes.

Both cars were left stranded in the gravel.

Verstappen leads by five points in the drivers’ standings, but will start this week’s race with a grid penalty.

The incident in Italy isn’t the first time the two driver have clashed.

In 2018, at the Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton criticised Verstappen for an overtake attempt that resulted in the Red Bull driver retiring.

Hamilton said he thought he had been ahead for most of the corner where they clashed, but that once he accepted defeat he gave Verstappen the required room – only for the young Dutchman to hold him out wide unnecessarily, until they touched.

Verstappen gave his version of events: “I was in the car, so I felt it, I saw it.

“That’s racing. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. You can say whatever you like about the incident, I think I had a fair shot at it. It was nothing crazy, nothing risky. But yeah, unfortunately this time it didn’t work out.

“Looking back, for example, in Mexico last year it did work out. This time we gave each maybe not enough space, but that’s racing as well, at the end of the day. Like I said, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad.

“Why should I change something? I don’t think I did anything wrong in terms of my approach. I was just trying to overtake a car. I think it was a fair chance.

“I went for it. For example, last year in Mexico it could have gone wrong as well – maybe for me, maybe for another car.

“As you could see in Mexico it didn’t go wrong for me. It’s racing; it’s very simple. I don’t understand why everybody is so on top of the topic. Those things happen in racing, you know.”

Hamilton said that inexperience may have led to the incident, and argued that Verstappen’s decision making was ‘”not mature”.

The Briton said: “The Red Bull is a car capable of good results but Max still has this inexperience and it was not a mature decision. He’s not getting the results [this year]. I went through that stuff when I was younger, so I know how it is.”

Following the incident in Monza earlier this month, Verstappen has been criticised for walking away from the crash without first checking on Hamilton.

When asked what he made of the criticism, Verstappen replied: “I mean, there are a lot of hypocrites in the world that’s for sure.

“I mean, I jumped out of the car, I looked to the left and he’s of course still trying to reverse, shaking the wheel, trying to get under away under my car so I think he was absolutely fine.

“Also, flying to America on Monday or Tuesday to attend a Gala, I think you only do that if you feel fine so I think already there, everything was all under control.”

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko had also suggested in the German media that Hamilton exaggerated his neck pain if he was able to attend the New York event.

Hamilton, who spoke to the media several hours before Verstappen, was quick to point out the severity of the crash.

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Hamilton said: “I don’t really listen to what these individuals talk about. It’s natural when a car lands on your head that you’re going to have some sort of discomfort.

“I definitely felt some pain after the race and I said I was going to get it checked out.

“I worked with [his physio] Angela straight after the race and during the flight and had check-ups the next day and then we just worked on it through the race with acupuncture and everything. I didn’t say I was dying!

“I’m of course aware of the fact that just in a millisecond anything can happen and so I did feel grateful to come out of it not badly injured. We move on.”

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