Max Verstappen claims he took a safer option by going wide and forcing Lewis Hamilton out of the track limits at Interlagos.
Lewis Hamilton was hunting Max Verstappen during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. In the process, the Briton came close several times to the Red Bull ace before finally overtaking him.
One such incident forced Hamilton to go out of the track limits. The Dutchman ran wide at Descida do Lago corner, forcing Hamilton to avoid the contact.
This incident prompted the FIA to look into the matter. But soon, they declared no investigation was needed. After the race, Mercedes displayed that they were baffled by the outcome.
However, Verstappen claims that he had only this safe option. The 24-year-old explains that he was losing grip and is happy that stewards took that decision.
“So I was really on the edge of grip, so that’s why I think I was already not fully on the apex. And it’s a safer way, of just running a bit wide there.”
“I was, of course, happy that the stewards decided that we could just keep on racing, because I think the racing in general was really good today,” said Verstappen.
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Nothing like Max Verstappen Silverstone incident
Verstappen was asked whether his actions were similar to Hamilton tagging him at Silverstone, leading to a massive 51G collision. In response, the Dutch sensation fully rejected the comparison.
“I don’t think it’s the same. It’s a completely different corner as well, so there’s not much more to comment. It’s not the same,” said Verstappen.
In the end, Verstappen lost the race against Hamilton, and now his lead in the drivers’ championship standings is only 14 points. It could be hard for him to defend this marginal difference with three races remaining.
