The 2022 Sao Paolo GP was controversial for multiple reasons and Max Verstappen was the center of most of it. The opening lap of the race saw a crash between pole-sitter Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo which brought out the safety car. After the restart, it was Verstappen who collided with old foe Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton and Verstappen have fought on different ends this year. As a result, we didn’t see many wheel-to-wheel battles between the two rivals. However, they did come together at last on Sunday afternoon at Interlagos. Verstappen seemingly made an aggressive move on the 37-year-old which caused damage to the latter’s floor.
Surprisingly, Hamilton’s pace was not affected whatsoever and it was Verstappen who was forced to pit for a new front wing. On top of that, the Dutch driver was handed a five-second penalty which he served during his pit stop. Verstappen’s fight for the win was over and he could only salvage a P6 finish in the end.
Most people have blamed Verstappen for the clash with Hamilton’s W13, but former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve insists that it was a racing incident.
Lewis Hamilton was aggressive on Max Verstappen, says Villeneuve
The 1997 World Champion did not hold back while criticizing Hamilton for being too aggressive on Verstappen. According to Villeneuve, Hamilton did not leave the Red Bull driver enough space, which meant he had nowhere to go. He didn’t discount Verstappen’s aggression but insisted that it was a two-sided affair.
“Verstappen got a five-second penalty, although Hamilton didn’t give him any space at all,” he wrote on his Formula1.nl column. “It was aggressive from both sides, a racing accident in my eyes.”
Verstappen’s shunt with Hamilton was not the only questionable moment for him in Brazil. After refusing to let teammate Sergio Perez pass, he has been under fire from the entire F1 community who have labeled him as selfish. Perez himself admitted that it was disappointing and surprising to see Verstappen behave this way.
Team principal Christian Horner, however, is adamant that the issues have been resolved. He added that Verstappen will do everything possible to help Perez at the season finale in Abu Dhabi next week.
Also read: Ferrari reported to sack Mattia Binotto, Frederic Vasseur named a possible replacement
Mercedes return to the top of F1 after convincing Sao Paolo GP win
The 2022 season did not go off to a great start for the Silver Arrows. Ferrari and Red Bull were a lot faster than them, and they struggled to get into the podium places consistently. After eight years of dominance, it was tough for Mercedes to come to terms with a season that would be full of learning and improvements.
Despite their problems, Hamilton and Russell were sure that the team was on the right track. At the Sao Paolo GP last weekend, they were dominant, and outclassed all the other drivers out on track. Team boss Toto Wolff will be hoping that they can carry this form over to the next season and get back in the Championship fight once again.
