Red Bull’s Max Verstappen believes that it is unfair that he was penalised for going wide on turn 1 while Lewis Hamilton went unpunished for the same offence.
Max Verstappen was under pressure from Mercedes driver and title rival Lewis Hamilton throughout the race after the first restart. In lap 36, Hamilton charged down the straight behind Verstappen to overtake the Dutch driver.
Verstappen braked later than Hamilton which caused him to lose his line and go off at Turn 1. Hamilton also went off in order to avoid a collision.
The straight-line speed of the Mercedes was undeniable as it made for easy passes with the DRS open. Verstappen also succumbed to this very same factor of the Mercedes in Lap 36 which caused him to be behind the seven-time champion going into Turn 1.
Max Verstappen has consistently been quicker through sector 1 this weekend.
Christian Horner didn’t hold back 😳 pic.twitter.com/McWXkWIRB7
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) December 5, 2021
The subsequent move which landed Max the penalty involved him oversteering and losing his line, going off track, and continuing to keep his lead and get a bigger gap from before.
Max Verstappen after the race confessed it was ‘unfair’ that Hamilton was not investigated for the same incident.
“Yeah, so he had the run, a bit like Brazil, and I braked late and I think I got a little bit off-line at one point, I guess, and I had a moment,” said the Red Bull driver to the media.
“I went wide, but he also didn’t make the corner, so we both basically missed the corner, and I don’t think it’s fair to then just say that I get a penalty but, yeah, it is what it is.”
Also read: Max Verstappen’s father details sour relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull superstar
THAT incident
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have had quite a few clashes this year whenever they’ve gone wheel-to-wheel. What happened in Saudi Arabia on Sunday just added to the long list but just may be the most bizarre incident between the two yet.
Verstappen explained the moment where Lewis Hamilton drove into the back of his Red Bull while the Dutch driver was attempting to give him back P1.
This video arises new doubts.
Max Verstappen gave Lewis Hamilton enough room to pass by.
How is this Max’s fault?#SaudiArabianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/WE5OTHJgOi— Akki (@Akkiakki1137) December 5, 2021
Max Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty for this incident after the race. This penalty had no effect on his race result as the Dutchman still managed to stay in P2.
“At one point, they [Red Bull] told me I had to give the position back,” explained Verstappen.
“That was, I think, just before [Turn] 22. So after [Turns] 22-23, I went to drive to the right side, I slowed down and I was braking and downshifting, and he just stayed super close behind me, and I don’t really understand why.
“I was just trying to let him by. I’m just going slower and slower, pulling the downshift. We had a… oh I don’t know, a miscommunication or whatever, and he ran into the back of me, and that was it.”
