Verstappen: 'It's simple and easy to blame the young driver'

Red Bull's Max Verstappen defended his aggressive maneuver on Lewis Hamilton in last Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix and which the Mercedes driver had criticized.

Verstappen tangled with Hamilton on the second lap as he fought his way up the field at the start. As the two made contact, the Dutchman picked up a puncture and damaged his differential, which ultimately led to his retirement a lap later.

Hamilton was left unimpressed by his rivals tactics, believing Verstappen's driving still lacked maturity.

Hamilton hopes Verstappen will 'learn' from immature mistakes

"It’s quite simple and easy to blame the younger driver," said Verstappen in Thursday's press conference in Shanghai.

"That’s the only way I can see it. But these things happen, there’s no reason for me to change anything.

"I don’t think I did anything wrong in terms of my approach. I was just trying to overtake a car and I think it was a fair chance, I went for it," added the 20-year-old.

"For example last year in Mexico it could have gone wrong as well maybe for me, maybe for another car. As you could see in Mexico it did.

"It’s racing, it’s very simple, and I don’t understand why everyone is so on top of the topic because those things happen in racing."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.