F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Verstappen calls Hamilton's win celebrations 'disrespectful'

Max Verstappen issued his first public reaction to his painful demise from the British Grand Prix, calling race winner Lewis Hamilton's celebrations "disrespectful and unsportsmanlike".

The two championship contenders came to blows on the opening lap of Sunday's race at Silverstone when they made contact on the run into Copse corner as they were dicing for the lead.

Hamilton moved to the inside of the Dutchman but pitched the Red Bull driver into a spin when his front left wheel touched Verstappen's rear right.

While the Mercedes driver was able to continue, Verstappen suffered a heavy impact with the barriers that required a precautionary visit to the hospital in Northampton.

©Formula1

But in the early evening, the 23-year-old tweeted that he was okay, although he slammed Hamilton for his maneuver and for the Briton's past-race celebrations.

"Glad I’m ok. Very disappointed with being taken out like this," he wrote. "The penalty given does not help us and doesn’t do justice to the dangerous move Lewis made on track.

"Watching the celebrations while still in hospital is disrespectful and unsportsmanlike behavior but we move on."

With the Red Bull and Mercedes camps on opposing sides regarding the crash, which was viewed as a racing incident by most pundits, the debate will likely rage on.

Hamilton's win has brought his deficit to Verstappen in the drivers' standings to just 8 points, which practically equates to a reset in the title fight.

But it might also signify a reset in the previously amicable relationship between Verstappen and Hamilton, with neither driver expected to compromise when racing wheel-to-wheel.

The battle between the two arch-rivals will continue in Hungary in two weeks, but an outright war may have just begun!

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.

Recent Posts

Sebastian Montoya steps up to Formula 2 with Prema

Sebastian Montoya, the 19-year-old son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, is set…

9 hours ago

Sauber finds its ‘Northern Star’ under Binotto’s leadership

When former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto took on the role of Chief Operating Officer…

10 hours ago

Leclerc hails a season ‘without missed opportunities' in 2024

Charles Leclerc concluded the 2024 F1 season with a sense of satisfaction, the Ferrari driver…

12 hours ago

Coulthard sounds alarm over FIA president’s rift with F1 drivers

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has voiced his dismay at FIA president Mohammed Ben…

14 hours ago

The rapid rise and fall of Super Aguri in F1

Super Aguri's application to join Formula 1 became a reality on this day in 2005,…

15 hours ago

Ferrari's 2024 Season: Marked improvement and a fight to the finish

Ferrari roared back into contention in 2024 to deliver their strongest season in years, thanks…

16 hours ago