Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has accused Lewis Hamilton of “dirty driving” following an opening lap crash between the two championship protagonists.
Max Verstappen came under pressure from Hamilton into the Copse corner, with the Briton diving down the inside before his front-wing made contact with Verstappen’s rear-tyre, pitching the Dutchman into a spin.
Verstappen then collided heavily with the tyre barrier with a 51G impact, heavily winding him and ending his race on the sport. A red flag was required to recover his car and to repair the tyre wall.
Horner was clearly unhappy with the clash and vented his anger at the FIA’s Michael Masi over team radio.
“That corner, he was never anywhere near alongside,” Horner told Masi. “Every driver who has driven this circuit knows that you don’t stick a wheel up in the inside at Copse. That is an enormous accident.
“It was 100 per cent Max’s corner. So, you know, as far as I’m concerned, full blame lays on Hamilton who should never have been in that position.
“You could have had a massive accident. Thank God he’s walked away unscathed. So, I hope you’re going to deal with it appropriately.”
Speaking to Channel 4 during the red flag stoppage, Horner described the move as “dirty driving”.
“I think it was a desperate move,” added Horner. “He failed to make the move in the first part of the lap, which he was obviously geared to do, and then it was just a desperate move sticking a wheel up the inside which you just don’t do.
“You boys know as well as anyone, Copse is one of the fastest corners in the world. You don’t stick a wheel up the inside. That’s just dirty driving.”
Hamilton was handed a ten-second time penalty for the collision.
BS
I love Red Bull team and Max & Sergio are incredible… but to have Hornet blame Lewis and say shit like “I hope he is happy with himself “ and One Eye demanding a race ban is completely embarrassing for the entire team… the majority on F1 live feed and most pundits agree it was a racing incident… nothing more… what a shame for the UK that this type of reaction will put a damper on an incredible victory by their home town hero…!!!
Hamilton is a dirty bastard. He is an out and out cheat and the penalty he received was grossly insufficient. The start of today’s race was almost a replay of Monza 2018 when Hamilton tapped Vettel’s rear left with his own right front at turn one, but failed to spin him out so hit him again at the second chicane, spinning Vettel off the track. Countless times Hamilton has forced opponents off the track far more brutally than did either Norris or Perez in Austria, yet they received penalties whereas he nearly always gets away with it. Helmut Marko is correct. Hamilton should be stripped of the win and banned from at least one race as punishment for his deliberate ramming of Verstappen. He could have killed Verstappen and wouldn’t have been in the slightest concerned if he had done so. Leclerc had to swerve out of the way in fear for his life at the same corner. Hamilton is a dirty and dangerous driver who needs, however belatedly, to be given punishment which reflects that fact.