The incident at Copse Corner meant for Verstappen not only a dangerous impact on the barrier, a subsequent medical examination and a significant loss of points in the championship: his lead shrank to only eight points. During the interruption of the race, the race commissioners investigated the whole matter and the result was a penalty of ten seconds for Hamilton. But Red Bull refuses to accept that.
Dr. Quite indignantly, Helmut Marko stated in an interview with Sky German that the collision between Verstappen and Hamilton was no longer just a racing incident, but an exceptional event. “In this situation, you will no longer have enough with the usual sports regulations. I don’t know what the maximum penalty should be, but such dangerous and reckless behavior as in the case of Hamilton should be punished by disqualification for the next race or something like that! If the racer contacts our rear wheel with the front wheel in this way, then it is no longer a racing accident in the fastest corner of the circuit. This is negligence and immunity to dangerous behavior, “rained fire and fire on Hamilton Marko, by the way a former racer who piloted BRM cars until his eye injury at the 1972 French Grand Prix and was a rival to Niki Lauda.
According to Mark, Lewis Hamilton should pay much more emphatically for the accident (illustrative photo) | photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team
When Marko learned that Mercedes was blaming Verstappen for the accident, he was upset again: “Then everyone is blind! The records showed us clearly. He drove the left front wheel into Verstappen’s right rear wheel and sent it into the barrier“Red Bull further stated that when hitting the used tire belt, Verstappen faced a 51G impact. The race had to be interrupted in order for the barrier to be safe and functional again.
“In my opinion, the only and full fault lies with Hamilton, who should never have been in this position. It could have been a tragic accident, thank God Max escaped unscathed. I hope that you will assess this case properly and responsibly, “Marko sent a message to F1 director Michael Masi.
Christian Horner blames Hamilton for the dirty ride | foto: Red Bull Racing
He also contributed a little to the mill Christian Horner, team boss. According to him, Hamilton’s behavior is undignified by his reputation. “I think it was a desperate move. He failed the maneuver in the first part of the straight line, which he was clearly counting on, then it was just a pathetic attempt to try it inside, which is simply not the case. You know it as well as anyone. Copse Corner is one of the fastest corners in the world. This was dirt!“said Horner for Channel 4.
He also added information about the first reactions to the Verstappen accident: “We saw him leave, he was really dialed. He headed to the medical center for a checkup, you know, it was a huge relief to see him climb out. After all, it happened in one of the fastest corners in the F1 calendar, “Horner added.
