Verstappen didn't feel like 'screwing' Hamilton over FP2 incident

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Max Verstappen chose not to try and "screw" Lewis Hamilton by unduly blaming the Mercedes driver during the pair's hearing with the stewards on Friday following their incident in FP2.

In yesterday's second free practice session, Hamilton slid off the track as Turn 3 and then rejoined on the inside of Turn 4 as Verstappen was entering the corner, forcing the Red Bull driver to take evasive action.

The incident was later investigated by the stewards, with many believing Hamilton would be the one on the receiving end of a penalty, two weeks after Sebastian Vettel's controversial punishment following his mistake in Montreal.

Hamilton on FP2 mishap: 'I'm surprised that I caught it'

Ultimately, Hamilton - who claimed not the have seen Verstappen in his mirrors - was left off the hook by the stewards. A decision based on common sense that the Dutchman felt perfectly comfortable with.

"When something like that happens, I'm not going to make any problems out of it," Verstappen told Dutch TV broadcaster Ziggo Sport.

"In the end we don't fight with them anyway. If it's for the championship or if you expect to really fight with Mercedes this weekend, then you maybe try and screw them.

"But I don't feel like doing that at this moment."

"It's just the decent thing to not whine about it like ‘yes, he held me up’," he added.

"It can happen, that he doesn't see you in the mirrors, because you could see that he was looking.

"But those mirrors aren't very big and that part of the track is very wide. So he wasn't able to see me in the mirror."

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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.