Max Verstappen has revealed his vision was affected by the heavy crash he suffered after colliding with Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 British Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver spun sideways into a tyre barrier at Copse corner with a force of around 51G. He was able to climb from his cockpit and was taken to hospital for checks.Three years on from the impact, Verstappen admitted he has found it difficult to see in some racing situations.
“Since my Silverstone crash, I’ve been struggling with vision problems, especially on bumpy tracks or those with many advertising boards along the track,” he told Red Bull’s website.
Verstappen returned to race in the next round after his crash. He described how the problem affected him during the 2021 United States Grand Prix. “In this race, I was not only fighting against Lewis but also against blurred images,” he explained, claiming he nearly retired at one point as a result.
“It was like driving a speedboat at 300kph. I’ve never mentioned this before, but for a few laps, it was so bad that I seriously considered parking the car.
“The only thing that helped was focusing on my breathing while I had Lewis right behind me. It was an important victory that I desperately needed in the championship fight.”
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The collision occured as Verstappen and Hamilton fought over the lead on the first lap of the race. The stewards ruled Hamilton was “predominantly at fault” for the clash and gave him a 10-second time penalty, despite which he was able to win the race.
Red Bull lobbied the FIA to impose a further penalty on Hamilton, submitting a ‘Right of Review’ request after using test driver Alexander Albon to simulate the Mercedes’ line through Copse, while Sergio Perez did the same in their simulator. The request was rejected and Mercedes responding by accusing “the senior management of Red Bull Racing” of trying to “tarnish the good name and sporting integrity of Lewis Hamilton.”
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SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
11th July 2024, 16:37
As impressive as the safety of current F1 cars, there’s just no changing physics, crashes of that force are always going to pose a risk to drivers, not much to do about that.
Dave
12th July 2024, 1:13
That’s sad to hear, nobody wants to see injuries to race car drivers. Another thing, he might need glasses as he sits in front of a computer daily sim racing?
MacLeod (@macleod)
12th July 2024, 8:17
Max uses already glasses behind his sim that was I surprised over when I saw that but didn’t knew why. Now I know the reason behind that.
So he had a concushion which wasn’t take care off that is clear now.
Coventry Climax
12th July 2024, 11:57
It is more clear that you draw conclusion without having all the necessary information.
MacLeod (@macleod)
12th July 2024, 13:47
Indeed but from my Experience I suffer the same fault blurry sight after a concushion which wasn’t diagnosed good …. So maybe a conclusion too far but i could understand if it’s so.
grat
12th July 2024, 15:10
FYI, It’s concussion, Because it’s F1, he was evaluated immediately afterwards for concussion and other related head injuries. Based on the description, it’s more likely to be muscle damage, or possibly optic nerve damage.
grat
12th July 2024, 15:08
Not necessarily. Computers can cause eye strain, but I’m just now getting to where I need glasses after 30+ years as an IT admin.
Much like your wrists, and your back, the trick is to get good ergonomics, and take breaks.
BasCB (@bascb)
15th July 2024, 22:22
I’d say it is really bad that Verstappen can admit to this issue having bothered him only a few years late. Shouldn’t the sport look at better post accident assessment of drivers? What if impaired vision causes a crash. What if it is a sign of damage to his brain – needing a longer time after a serious accident to recover to prevent more serious and lasting damage if there is a follow up crash?
roger norman
11th July 2024, 16:38
If you hadn’t turn into him like you did Lando in Austria, you probably wouldn’t have crashed.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
11th July 2024, 16:49
Lewis was at fault, Lewis made mistake.
We can argue day and night about if Max could have been more generous but it’s Hamilton’s error that caused the crash.
Jonholio
11th July 2024, 18:52
Some think Lewis is to blame after Max closed right up to him and Lweis then went straight forward instead of being able to turn, however Pay Symonds looked into this after the race and found that it was the sidewake from Max’s car that caused the unsettling of Lewis’ car, so if Max hadn’t turned into Lewis, Lewis would have been able to turn better. Otherwise, the rules don’t state that Max must be given 3 quarters of the track space, there was nothing to stop him from giving more room himself and all drivers know that if you are on the outside then you are the one taking the risk.
Coventry Climax
12th July 2024, 12:00
If he hadn’t turned in?
You mean to say he should have gotten out of the way of Hamilton and run straight off all by himself?
Sure. Great insight.
Mayrton
14th July 2024, 9:12
Hahaha, yeah and if he had stayed home that day he also would not have been in the wall
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 15:59
Maybe not aiming to crash other cars 5-6 times within half a lap would help. Played stupid games, won his prize.
SteveP
11th July 2024, 20:00
The mistake Lewis made was being on a part of the track that Max tried to drive through.
The mistake Max made was to try to drive a line that aimed for the apex of the corner on a path that was about a metre too early.
Fred Fedurch
12th July 2024, 5:23
There was a car’s width on the inside. Loois forgot where the apex was.
Pete V
12th July 2024, 6:13
There was a car width on the outside, but that’s not why there was a penalty given. Both didn’t want to give up and both were too aggressive. Lewis was behind so deemed to be predominantly at fault.
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 19:02
Maxi forgot to not turn into a car on the inside line
Shaun Clark
11th July 2024, 23:24
If Max has vision problems should he be granted a F1 licence
R D
15th July 2024, 21:50
I agree, how does he attain a doctor’s release that allows participation if this is indeed true?
wickedwilly
12th July 2024, 1:55
Wrong, Max tried to cut Lewis off as he did all season and when Lewis held firm he turned in and hit Lewis. There is no doubt in this, it was caught on the overheads and Max’s cockpit camera. d
Nick T.
14th July 2024, 21:34
I’m much more of a Lewis fan than a Max fan. That incident was on Lewis. Doesn’t change the fact that 90% of Max incidents are on Max, but please, let’s try to be honest rather than tribal.
Drop Saudi
11th July 2024, 16:53
That’s terrible news. These cars are very safe, so I had assumed no lasting injury even from such a severe hit. More soft barriers everywhere possible would be welcome.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
11th July 2024, 16:54
VERY different situations anyway but Hamilton had no reason to peak his nose up there at that corner, at that speed and that late. He was never going to make it at any reasonable speed (IF he managed to brake enough), let alone ahead of Max unless Max reacted to it.
It was 100% on Lewis.
Sham (@sham)
11th July 2024, 16:58
No accident is ever 100% on anyone. Max could have avoided it as well.
Dex
11th July 2024, 17:32
Nah. Some accidents are 100% on a single driver, and that’s fine. That time it was Hamilton, Verstappen had his moments too (like later in Brazil, where he really went overboard). I disagree with you because that’s how some justify many things in life, including situations there are real culprits and victims.
I’m first to hate black and white views of things, but relativization can be equally wrong. While no person is absolutely good or bad, perfect or imperfect and so on, some mistakes or misdeeds are entirely on us, be that due to incompetence, circumstances or because of ill intent.
F1 drivers never truly admit to their fault because… Well, we saw what happened when Magnussen did. He got stricter penalty, practically lost the remaining chance to fight for his drive for the next season and got bad PR (all well deserved probably, but it’s also a lesson for others, if anyone needed it at all). Still, they are no stupid, even if they act so. Hamilton knows what he does very well, so do Verstappen, Alonso, Magnussen and all the rest. If there are any illusions they surely disappear after watching the videos and seeing the data.
Johnny
11th July 2024, 21:57
@Dex “Some accidents are 100% on a single driver, and that’s fine.”
According to Max and RedBull… Every accident Max has ever been involved in has been 100% the fault of the other guy.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
11th July 2024, 18:11
“Could have avoided the accident” doesn’t equate to being partly at fault. For example, Norris could have avoided the collision with Verstappen in Austria if he’d moved over further, but would have had to leave the track to do so. Most people would agree that one was on Verstappen.
At Silverstone, Verstappen *might* have avoided the crash if he’d taken a wider line through Copse, but I suspect it wouldn’t have made a difference in reality. Hamilton was coming for him anyway.
MadMax (@madmax)
12th July 2024, 6:59
predominantly to blame exactly equates to also the other party being partly to blame. HAM coming for VER in silverstone 21? You obviously missed the first half lap to come to that conclusion, as it was the complete opposite. some bias is fine, but maybe dont close your eyes to facts.
Mayrton
14th July 2024, 9:17
It was a clear cut deliberate move from Hamilton. He had seen Max drive off in the distance the day before at the Sprint and knew this would be the ultimate last opportunity to do anything. If he hadn’t taken this chance to take Max out he would have never been close to him anymore during the remainder of the race. He decided to take a deliberate, but for him fruitful, red card. I am getting really tired of all this twisted narratives. Lewis should just own up to this. He knows perfectly well he did this on purpose. It is his signature move when he is desperate.
Mayrton
14th July 2024, 9:21
And moreover, Karma also knows it. He lost the championship that year and got a 2,5 year dry streak as punishment. Seems appropriate and I am glad his jail time is over now and would like to congratulate him on his Silverstone win. He has committed the crime, served his time and now it is time to leave it behind and move on from it.
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 15:57
So much stupid hate by stupid anti fans
MichaelN
11th July 2024, 20:34
Hamilton has overtaken many people in Copse. A lot of people. He has always managed to keep the inside line. In 2021, he didn’t. Or rather, he did – just not in the single case where he was racing Verstappen. Did one of the most experienced F1 driver, and the one with the most wins of all time, make a simple mistake? Only he knows. The circumstantial evidence doesn’t necessarily favour that reading, though.
It was always interesting how vehemently anti-Verstappen the narrative became after that. In particular from Damon Hill on the official F1 podcast. And Hill certainly knows a thing or two about not avoiding incidents with people with whom he had a bone to pick. A classic case of ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’.
The best thing that can be said is that Hamilton was at least subtle enough about his move to leave room for doubt.
Hotbottoms (@hotbottoms)
11th July 2024, 21:35
@MichaelN
Do you honestly believe that Hamilton caused the crash on purpose? That he had both the skill to ensure only Verstappen crashed, not himself, and the moral corruption to intentionally cause the crash?
And if you do believe that Hamilton had both the skill and the moral corruption to cause such crashes on purpose, why didn’t Hamilton cause any more of them in 2021? Surely it would’ve ensured that he won the championship that year.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
12th July 2024, 8:49
I think the crash was intentional, and its main purpose was to demonstrate to Verstappen that Hamilton was not always going to back down in wheel-to-wheel situations. He had already backed out of similar moves at Imola and Barcelona earlier that season. Indeed, this was a point made many times in the aftermath of the crash, including by Hamilton’s supporters.
As far as the “skill” argument goes, Hamilton knew that a PIT style move was likely to result in Verstappen coming off worse – he’d already experienced that with Albon in Austria the previous year (which wasn’t intentional, just reckless, but the lesson clearly stuck). In any event, a double DNF would have got the message across just fine – and would have been the outcome, had Mercedes not been able to repair his car under the red flag.
Why didn’t Hamilton subsequently repeat the offence? Well, he’d made his point, although later events in 2021 suggest that Verstappen hadn’t quite got the memo. But there is also the point that future similar occurrences might have led people to look less favourably on the original incident, in the same way that people began to look at Australia 1994 again after Michael Schumacher’s antics at Jerez in 1997.
David BR (@david-br)
12th July 2024, 12:37
@red-andy I don’t think it was intentional, I think it was performed with the same attitude Verstappen had been demonstrating. Before the Silverstone race all the talk from racing pundits was how Hamilton had to be more aggressive, as Verstappen was repeatedly diving into corners to pass and Hamilton backing out to avoid collision. On the opening lap at Silverstone, the same happened. At Copse Hamilton saw the chance and thought, I’m doing the same, coming through, you (Max) decide to make room or not. Max looks, knows Hamilton is there (never disputed) and decides to turn in anyhow to ‘claim’ the corner. It’s adrenalin and a bit of head rush (still carefully controlled) from both. Hamilton was penalized as he was judged to have miscalculated the traction and understeered slightly, missing the apex. Penalty given.
The reason the incident is so polemical is entirely different: Verstappen crashed out, Hamilton stayed on and won. Red Bull then deployed everything they could to try to get the penalty increased with claims of Hamilton being at fault for deliberately pushing Verstappen into the wall. You can thank them for the vitriol still provoked.
N
13th July 2024, 19:53
“I think the crash was intentional, and its main purpose was to demonstrate to Verstappen that Hamilton was not always going to back down in wheel-to-wheel situations.”
Which of course is nonsense given that 2 corners previous to the copse crash, Hamilton backed out of an overtake.
Mayrton
14th July 2024, 9:27
Absolutely intentional and a result of the Sprint race the day before in which Max showed better pace. Hamilton struggled to keep up at the start of the race on Sunday and knew that once Max would break away, it would be over. He knew he wouldn’t beat him in a fair fight, so he decided to take a red card. All the greats have done it. It might not be nice, but it happens. Him not owning up to it broke my admiration for him forever though.
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 15:56
Maybe VER could own up to his mistake, ignoring the car on the inside. But yeah, HAM anti fans will always stick to their stupid take.
Craig
11th July 2024, 20:04
You have to hugely skew the facts to come to that conclusion. As you can see from the image Hamilton’s front left tire is inline with the front of Verstappen’s sidepod, more then alongside enough to warrent room. Yet the impact was front left tire to rear right, implying Verstappen tried to go deep and slam the door closed.
If it’s anything it’s a 50/50 racing accident.
The Dolphins
11th July 2024, 20:55
Craig I too view it as a racing incident and recall being frustrated by both drivers at that moment for taking away from us what was shaping up to be a nice long duel (on the first lap no less!)
Lewis was defending hard, as Max would have defended had it been the other way around
+ Max was being optimistic on the outside pass instead of taking a more logical switch back line
= A racing incident but everyone left feeling disappointed
Craig
12th July 2024, 8:45
I see it as them both trying to be clever and meeting in the middle (Hamilton likely aimed to ‘encourage’ Verstappen wide as he’d done with Rosberg in the past while Verstappen tried to slam the door in his face).
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
11th July 2024, 21:16
Nah, he got there because he overshoot the corner. There was no way he was coming out of that one without pushing Max out of the corner.
David BR (@david-br)
11th July 2024, 22:27
@fer-no65 Your opinion is noted. However, that wasn’t a consensus, just Red Bull propaganda. Trying to get Perez to imitate Hamilton in a car had comic value, though.
N
11th July 2024, 23:11
The data showed Verstappen tried to take copse faster and braked later than he did in qualifying, with full fuel, colder tires/brakes, he knew Hamilton had the jump on him because of his exit speed out of the previous corner, but didn’t want to give up the position, despite having a quicker car the whole weekend. He could/should have learned from Hamiltons race in Spain were merc where looking stronger all weekend, when Verstappen sent it up the inside on lap 1, Hamilton backed out, and retook the position later in the race and won, after the race Verstappens on team principle said its lucky Hamilton backed out of the move otherwise he’d have ended up in the barrier.
Osnola
12th July 2024, 12:54
Agreed, and for that intentional move lewis should have been black flagged!
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 15:52
orange fiction.
Nick T.
14th July 2024, 21:42
@DavidBR
Opinion noted. What’s also noted is your inability to be objective regarding anything to do with Hamilton and hated for anyone you consider his rival. So, forgive anyone who doesn’t take your arguments as being made in good faith.
You’ve got 25 incidents in which you can point to Max being at fault, but can’t even bring yourself to apportion any blame to the one Lewis shoulders most of the fault.
David BR (@david-br)
14th July 2024, 23:56
@ Nick T. Swap ‘hatred’ for ‘biased criticism’ at least! I don’t hate any Formula 1 drivers and hatred isn’t something I think is worth cultivating in general.
I apportioned 50% of the blame to each driver but accepted the stewards deeming the Copse incident ‘mostly Hamilton to blame.’ The only point I ever made was that it was a legitimate attempt to pass (as the stewards agreed, though Red Bull contested) and that Hamilton would indeed have made the corner without Verstappen there to ‘stop’ him. There’s no doubt Verstappen looked, saw Lewis but turned in anyhow. That’s precisely why Red Bull countered (falsely I think) by arguing that Verstappen’s actions ‘made no difference’ because they’d have collided even if Verstappen had left space.
Mayrton
14th July 2024, 9:33
Luckily no debate about this is needed. Later on he was in 100% the same situation with Leclerc. On the footage it is very clear that in the situation with Leclerc, Lewis was way more to the right on the kerb and Leclerc left less room than Verstappen did. It doesn’t get more clear than that. Fandom is fine, but come on..
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 15:54
Everyone saw HAM being alongside, and VER taking too much speed into the corner, cutting too far to the inside. The crashkid just behaved like he always does, searching to crash into others.
Norbert Gudo
12th July 2024, 9:31
So what changes
Fred
11th July 2024, 22:42
Hmmm let’s see now. Max and lh come together max crashes. Stewrds say it was Lh’s fault. Of course it was max’s fault. The “drama queen is the most hypocritical driver there is his antics at the BGP were sickening. He flies his dog to the track in a copter,takes part in the worlds worst Sport (carbon dioxide emitting) flies around the world in a private jet, and then wants all us plebs to ride bikes to work
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 15:51
Orange fiction. Stewards ruled VER to be partly to blame also. Stick to the truth.
isthatglock21
11th July 2024, 17:03
Get the tiny violins out chaps! I’m sure the dutch footballers from last night in 3 years will come out with an excuse like ‘Harry Kane’s yellow boots were blinding us’
SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
11th July 2024, 17:41
What’s he’s excusing, exactly, he’s won literally all WDC’s since that race, as well as most races.
The Dolphins
11th July 2024, 17:05
I guess then it’s Max’s vision that’s to blame for missing the Turn 4 braking point at Interlagos in 2021
Robbie1
11th July 2024, 17:42
Is that where both drivers engaged in a game of chicken towards a rather slow corner that didn’t end with a driver
send to the hospital?
One was cheeky, the other should have resulted in a race ban.
melanos
11th July 2024, 18:23
Race?? Lifetime is more like it. Plus a healthily long stay in jail and a really hefty compensation.
SteveP
11th July 2024, 20:03
Look, Max was stupid at Monza, but jail time for his actions causing the crash is a bit extreme.
David BR (@david-br)
11th July 2024, 23:15
This is precisely the kind of raging absurdity Red Bull (Horner, Marko, Verstappen Sr. etc) stirred the first time round when they refused to take a racing incident as a racing incident and went as low as they could in implicating Hamilton in an attempt on Verstappen’s life. Yes, read that line up of people again and think of all these endearing qualities we’ve come to know and love (not forgetting the mutual esteem between themselves, of course).
Cynical to an extreme. The result was Verstappen’s wild lunge at Hamilton at Monza, his car ending on top of Hamilton’s (though I’m not implying that was on purpose) and the wild driving at Interlagos and especially Saudi Arabia, where he should have been blackflagged. It worked, though, right? Masi sufficiently frazzled by the end to launch into his own surreal intepretation of F1 regulations.
But really we don’t need all this back again. Verstappen and Red Bull (with this ‘new’ information suddenly coming to light on their website) obviously see fresh mileage in pushing this Max-as-victim-but-still-a-hero line right now.
Like I said, cynical to an extreme.
The Dolphins
11th July 2024, 18:37
Robbie1: the difference is at Silverstone Lewis maintained control of his own vehicle and kept it on track whereas in Brazil Max went so deep that he couldn’t keep his own car on track. In both instances the driver on the outside had more to lose: Lewis on the outside took to off the track to avoid a collision; Max on the outside tried to close the door. The argument that Lewis somehow deserved a race ban is preposterous, you need to look at the intent of the move not the result of it, when one takes that into account it’s obvious that Max ought to have been shown a black & white flag in Brazil for a clear dive bomb. He already was shown a black & white for excessive weaving while defending. The “game of chicken” as you refer to it is what we refer to as racing with the caveat that you are to maintain control of your car and avoid contact with the other cars.
BamBoomBots
12th July 2024, 6:03
I’d just like to note Hamilton ran into Verstappen with enough force to break his own left front wheel rim and steering assembly.
In the best case he misjudged his own velocity and position in that corner quite badly.
SteveP
12th July 2024, 7:29
The lateral movement that caused that was the cut right move Max made heading for the apex leaving no space, if he had been a fraction later in his move (probably about a metre further forward) there would have been no collision.
Replay as many times as you want, Max aims for the apex, with something in the way, and there is contact between his rear right and Lewis’s front left.
Whether the rear right rim on the RBR was broken in that contact would probably be difficult to determine after the whole unit rattled through the gravel trap at high speed and stopped at the barrier.
I’m still not clear why the stewards deemed Lewis to be predominantly to blame, Max was out wider and could have taken a fractionally different line and avoided contact entirely. That’s not his driving style though, aggressive cut in is his style.
David BR (@david-br)
12th July 2024, 11:47
SteveP I remember the pundit debate at the time being split half Lewis to blame, half racing incident (Verstappen also to blame). Red Bull turned that into a much nastier debate through their comments about some malfeasance from Hamilton and unparalleled attempts to ‘recreate’ the incident with further ‘proof’ from getting other drivers to ‘reenact’ the ‘exact same situation’ (! are they really F1 professionals who think any track situation can be ‘recreated’?)
This is really why we’re all here discussing the event, it was weaponised by Red Bull as part of their intense pressure to polemicize everything throughout 2021, with consequences we know.
SteveP
12th July 2024, 17:40
David BR
Exactly that. Neither gave an inch on that corner, Max cut in too soon.
Without the early cut in – no collision.
Without Lewis staying in the corner – no collision.
The nasty narrative from Red Bull is something most people have come to expect. It started before 2021, it’s had a relatively quiet time while the car was massively dominant and, possibly co-incidentally, has reared it’s head again.
So, turning back to the trigger for this thread, I have to ask – does Max still have vision problems? If so, then he should not drive. If not, then why raise the issue?
More to the point, having stirred up a hornets nest, why has Red Bull edited the page and removed that section?
This link is the original: https://web.archive.org/web/20240711152950/https://www.redbull.com/at-de/theredbulletin/max-verstappen-top-10-siege-red-bull-racing#8-miami-2023:-sieg-von-startplatz-9
This is the new,
https://www.redbull.com/at-de/theredbulletin/max-verstappen-top-10-siege-red-bull-racing#8-miami-2023:-sieg-von-startplatz-9
where ALL text for the USA 2021 at item 07 has gone, Belgium 2022 now shows as item 07 and instead of the original list of 10 races, it now shows 9
Both versions have the same publication date/time which, as Wayback shows, is not true.
I initially thought this might be a bad translation or misuse of “since” as is frequent with non-native English users. Now it looks like RBR stirring the pot and then attempting to delete the evidence – sorry guys, Wayback caught you.
David BR (@david-br)
12th July 2024, 19:59
SteveP
Seems so! Good journalistic detective work. It does raise the question of why Red Bull have now deleted the US race and the reference to Max’s vision problems. I suspect not because of the polemic but because of the issues it might raise in terms of Max’s fitness to drive. Though as it’s now already ‘out there’ as news, I’m not sure how removing the race from their website actually helps. Clearly Verstappen’s performances since Silverstone 2021 show he can drive fine. And maybe the issue has cleared up over time. But the reported a medical issue that perhaps hasn’t been made known to FIA before. Strange anyhow.
Osnola
12th July 2024, 12:56
If hamilton really kept control over hus car the crash was intentional.
Thanks for agreeing on that.
MadMax (@madmax)
12th July 2024, 19:40
Intentional and stupid by VER, closing into HAM.
T
11th July 2024, 19:11
Do you suffer memory problems? Lewis did go to hospital after Max parked on his head! You clearly haven’t seen Hamiltons crash helmet!
T
14th July 2024, 1:47
heyy, i have an imposter/fan
equally flattered and freaked out, carry on
Nick T.
14th July 2024, 21:46
A game of chicken? Featuring one, Dutch participant? Translation = only Max was playing chicken.
Keefy
11th July 2024, 17:26
If his vision is impaired should he be driving an F1 car?
Helen
12th July 2024, 10:11
Exactly
Patrick (@paeschli)
11th July 2024, 17:29
I was hoping for more sympathy in the comments after discovering that a driver sustained lasting damage to his vision after a crash. Guess I was naive.
You gotta wonder how another such heavy crash would affect him. Might be the end of his career if his issues worsen.
Craig
11th July 2024, 17:45
If he had a serious vision issue he wouldn’t be allowed to drive.
Helen
12th July 2024, 10:11
Exactly
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
11th July 2024, 22:33
Yes, unbelievable no symphathy in the comments after a driver suffers lasting injury, I had no idea at all he had vision problems, since he’s already the best driver on the grid.
David BR (@david-br)
11th July 2024, 23:20
@esploratore1 You’re deliberately confusing sympathy (deserved) with attempts to apportion blame and even criminal culpability to another driver (see above: accusations as hyperbolic as they are tediously predictable).
SteveP
12th July 2024, 7:45
Sympathy for injuries, shock that he allegedly has a lasting effect on his vision, and he risks the lives of others by driving with a vision impairment.
Helen
12th July 2024, 10:15
I would have thought as these drivers are going at such high speeds that a vision would be a mandatory health before any race wouldn’t you?
Davina Harrington
11th July 2024, 17:33
If Max has vision problems surely he is a danger risk to other racers and should have his licence revoked ?
SteveP
11th July 2024, 20:22
Well, yes, at least until a medical examination clears him to drive.
That said, if he had been truthful in all his medical examinations since the crash then they would already have gone through the temporary revoke, test and clearance.
BMW P85 V10
11th July 2024, 20:42
Passing a test in normal conditions doesn’t mean you can’t have a problem under racing conditions.
You’re suggesting Max was untruthfull during his tests which is not necessary the case. The test was not under racing conditions so everything could be perfectly fine then.
SteveP
12th July 2024, 7:57
I’m stating as fact that responsible medical professionals actually ask the patient whether they have experienced vision problems and whether that still happens.
When asked that question, the answer should have been “Yes and yes” and the clearance to race revoked until the answer to the second portion of the question was “No”
Having experienced a number of months of 90% vision loss, I can tell you that it isn’t something to be taken lightly.
I refuse to believe Max, or any other of the drivers, is that stupid.
BMW P85 V10
12th July 2024, 18:46
You can only believe or disbelieve Max if you know if the doctor asked the right questions. Kind a like Schrödingers Cat’.
SteveP
12th July 2024, 23:48
Choices, choices.
Believe that multiple clinicians have failed to meet professional standards, or believe that RB put something on their website that wasn’t true, and then deleted it.
Hmmm, tricky.
Patrick (@paeschli)
12th July 2024, 10:04
Crazy how he has picked up so little penalty points on his license compared to other drivers with perfect vision huh
melanos
11th July 2024, 18:21
You might as well try to tarnish a pink unicorn with seven legs and ninety wings
Jans Duiven
11th July 2024, 18:52
We are talking about a deceleration injury.. An impact injury to a body within or upon a rapidly moving object caused by the forces exerted when the object is brought to a sudden halt. And if the energy is high enough, deceleration can become the cause of morbidity or mortality. Even a safety helmet has a limit..
Canterbury
11th July 2024, 18:56
I guess vision problems are the key to dominating F1? Cheat code identified.
BMW P85 V10
12th July 2024, 18:48
I gues so. Apendix removal works also. Only just for one race though.
Neil (@neilosjames)
11th July 2024, 19:06
I have to rely on a translation tool as the original article is in German and little details can often be lost – I wonder if he means he had the vision problems in USA 2021 (but they’re now resolved), or that he still has them now?
If they’re still persisting now, a positive is that it doesn’t seem to be affecting his driving performances.
Jere (@jerejj)
11th July 2024, 20:06
I understand the quoted phrases as a reference to still-existing vision problems rather than only until the same-season US GP.
MichaelN
11th July 2024, 20:42
Max uses the past tense, so presumably it isn’t permanent.
‘Since my Silverstone crash I struggled with vision problems’.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
11th July 2024, 22:40
Honestly, if someone says: “since x date I have y issue”, I would assume he still had it right now.
One thing that impressed me reading this article is his performance in austin 2021, was already a good battle but with this issue it elevates it further.
SteveP
12th July 2024, 17:55
You should note that (as I pointed out above) the site authors have edited that article and removed all reference to the USA race.
The list now features 9 races, not the original 10. The date/time on the article has not been altered.
Intriguing, isn’t it?
Perhaps the vision problems never existed? Or they did, and still do, exist?
SteveP
11th July 2024, 19:51
Strange, the hospital visit was purely precautionary, and I believe there was no effect that showed on any of the scans done that afternoon.
BamBoomBots
12th July 2024, 6:09
No acute issues does not mean no damage done that needs recovery.
Reportedly he spent 4 days on bed in a dark room after the crash because he could not even bear seeing daylight.
I don’t know if that’s made up of course, I’ll admit that. But you will surely feel taking 51G deceleration for a couple of days, so it is plausible.
Nikos (@exeviolthor)
12th July 2024, 6:18
When Alonso had his big crash in Australia (I think in 2016) he was released from the track as being OK.
When the pain persisted over many days, he was found out to have broken a few ribs and have pneumonothorax.
Sometimes it is not easy for doctors to detect an injury especially if the symptoms are vague.
SteveP
12th July 2024, 8:03
Max was taken to a “super-hospital” not the local one, the scanning facilities are rather extensive.
Nikos (@exeviolthor)
12th July 2024, 9:25
Yes, but some problems do not appear in such a short time. For example I have a small problem in my spine due to a car accident which was only discovered about a year after the accident. Till then there were no sypmtoms.
Jere (@jerejj)
11th July 2024, 20:05
I could’ve never realized or guessed the 51G impact into the tyre barrier had any lasting side effects, & I’m even more surprised that he waited three years before mentioning anything about vision problems.
cdfemke (@cdfemke)
13th July 2024, 18:16
And lewis laughed and was celebrating afterwards
SteveP
13th July 2024, 19:00
After the race, and long after being told that Max was fit and healthy enough to walk away from the car.
Max parked his car on top of Lewis, and walked away – not knowing whether Lewis was fitting from received injuries.
BTW. Have you read the original web site content that sparked this discussion, or did you look after the guilty seeming edit?
Billy (@roobyroo)
11th July 2024, 20:32
Ah, Hamilton and his love of PIT maneuvers on other drivers.
Thankfully, justice was eventually served in Abu Dhabi.
David BR (@david-br)
11th July 2024, 22:06
@roobyroo Your comment is really the dregs of fan commentary.
Fred Fedurch
12th July 2024, 11:18
Should we drag out the “Oops, I Did It Again” compilation video of Hamilton punting drivers with the ‘wheel nudge’ one more time?
grat
13th July 2024, 10:59
Well, you could try reading the steward’s decision that plainly said car #33 turned into car #44, not the other way around.
Fred Fedurch
13th July 2024, 12:58
What does that have to do with the dozen or so clips of Hamilton deliberately hitting opponents in the video?
MadMax
13th July 2024, 13:14
You could also make a video with dozens of situations, where VER is aiming to hit other cars.
SteveP
13th July 2024, 14:16
Well, the stewards report is fact and the other is fantasy.
Mog
11th July 2024, 21:03
Reading the comments, I am surprised. Surely Max (and/or the media) is stirring the pot here, but the fan base has pretty much reacted as intended.
F1 is an intelligent sport, but tribalism apparently affects clear vision more than a 51G impact with a Silverstone wall.
For the effect of G on vision, have a look at the tests conducted by the usa in the 50s. Those guys subjected themselves to the testing multiple times.
David BR (@david-br)
11th July 2024, 22:13
I’m sure your right about the potential damage to the retina and so on of a high-G impact.
If Max is stirring the pot like you’re suggesting, you have to wonder why now? Because Red Bull are finally being caught and the chance for a renewal of the rivalry with Mercedes and Hamilton is brewing for the second half of the season.
Red Bull, Horner and Verstappen Sr certainly did as much as possible to escalate the repercussions of the Silverstone crash – like Verstappen was some kind of innocent when it comes to hard racing. The blame on Hamilton was exaggerated then and still is now. Verstappen could have left room at Copse, but chose not to because that’s who he is: his style is all-out aggression in claiming track and forget the consequences. Fine, but there are indeed consequences some times. When the reverse happened and his own car flew over Hamilton’s head at Monza, he was completely indifferent to the potential harm he’d caused. I take all the complaints with a pinch of salt.
SteveP
12th July 2024, 8:07
This.
Patrick (@paeschli)
12th July 2024, 10:06
Surely the readers on this site understand the difference in danger between a low speed and a high speed crash? It’s the reason we have speed limits on public roads …
David BR (@david-br)
12th July 2024, 11:25
@paeschli And surely they know the dangers of any kind of head injury at whatever speed.
Johnny
11th July 2024, 21:54
He’s still complaining? Wasn’t the WDC he was gifted by Liberty and the FiA not worth it?
cdfemke (@cdfemke)
13th July 2024, 18:15
Not as bad as the diva of whining , that record ia still held by lady lewis
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 15:47
You know the diva of swearing?
Edvaldo
11th July 2024, 21:56
It only affected him on COTA 2021, never before, never again? Maybe it’s not even related to the crash, who knows…
MacLeod (@macleod)
12th July 2024, 13:51
Only on tracks where there are sever bumps you know the ones in front of a stoplight those short ones which cause to clapper your teeth that was he describing that he has problems.
David BR (@david-br)
11th July 2024, 22:18
Verstappen/Red Bull are finally caught on pace in a race with Mercedes and we’re back to Silverstone 2021.
Weird, huh?
Gdh
11th July 2024, 22:35
It’s just an interesting interview/article about some the hidden side effects of big crashes. Why ruin it with with more conspiracy theories and trying to make drivers and teams you don’t like look bad?
There’s no need for the usual commentators to post how they think x driver did wrong constantly. We can talk about something more interesting.
David BR (@david-br)
12th July 2024, 11:39
I don’t dislike Verstappen, I do dislike some of the education he received, in particular surrounding his attitude to other drivers and the remarks from his team and other entourage after Silverstone 2021, which fuelled the polemic and led to some of his reprisals on track. He’s a highly aggressive driver, who always commits 100% to ‘claiming’ track when he believes he has an advantage, defending or passing. Fine and in some ways impressive. But sometimes that will have consequences in terms of collisions with other drivers. If worse had happened to Hamilton at Monza 2021, I wouldn’t hold Verstappen culpable for the repercussions as they are unpredictable – to blame for the crash, yes, but not for the outcome. I expect the same to be extended to Hamilton, who certainly didn’t expect his rival to end in the wall at Copse.
I’ve seen two truly shocking bits of dangerous driving in Formula 1. Schumacher’s squeeze on Barrichello at the 2010 Hungarian GP, easily the worst, and Grosjean’s spin back onto the track at the 2018 Spanish GP, which was just mindblowingly ill-conceived but luckily nobody was injured.
As for Red Bull, they know what they’re doing, this is their modus operandi.
BMW P85 V10
12th July 2024, 18:57
I think the reveal was done to counter the blunt and fairly stupid remark of Zac Brown who called the Austria incident the same as Silverstone.
David BR (@david-br)
12th July 2024, 20:02
It’s a possibility. Either way, I guess it shows a defensiveness that hasn’t been there for a while.
MadMax (@madmax)
11th July 2024, 23:03
He seems to have a Hamilton syndrom. Lost to HAM again, and surprisingly now comes up with something like this. His vision problem is, that he obviously misjudges distances to other cars when aiming to crash into them, cant drive straight when a car is close behind, and has a tendence to divebombing. But thats obviously not related to any F1 crash, cause its the same from the very beginning.
Patrick (@paeschli)
12th July 2024, 10:07
Why are you describing Norris?
FrankT
12th July 2024, 15:00
And you’re sure you’re not suffering from a Max-syndrome?? I mean that is the only time to react to something, hell, you even have your username dedicated to him! Are you really this blind to your own behaviour!?
MadMax (@madmax)
12th July 2024, 19:36
He could easily have brought this up with the doctors, and with the press after those races where he had the problems. But strangely he brings it up, exactly after losing Silverstone to HAM again, and the race before to his crash-mentality. So its just fair to question the hidden agenda behind.
PlosslF1 (@f1-ploss)
11th July 2024, 23:45
“The only thing that helped was focusing on my breathing”
That sounds more psychological than physiological….
Win7Golf (@win7golf)
11th July 2024, 23:53
Uauh!…
A bit too early to start the excuse list, if he loses to championship…
What’s next? Bone spurs in his heels… LOL
John Beak (@johnbeak)
12th July 2024, 0:17
Shades of Nelson Piquet’s 1987 Imola crash. Surely the two had a talk about that at some point.
José Lopes da Silva
12th July 2024, 21:25
Inevitable. Good point
Mini Tux
12th July 2024, 4:54
Over recent years we have had our fair share of shockingly aggressive dirty play drivers. Schumacher was a classic with blatantly pushing cars off the track & colliding with cars to win championships & getting away with it because of his high status in game at the time. Here we are in the Verstappan, Hamilton era with the obvious wild aggressive out of control Verstappan win at all costs then spitting the dummy when not everyone gives in to him, challenging the more subtle, experienced, sneakey Hamilton. Unfortunately the status in the game runs equal so no favours at the top for these two. It’s left to the cameras & technology to tell the truth, regardless of what dirt is thrown down by the bitter teams. Interesting times in the kindergarten
…..
Adrian Vakilly
12th July 2024, 7:10
Well Lewis almost lost his life thanks to his antics at Monza 21, he can thank halo for keeping a clear conscience.
Ripshod
12th July 2024, 8:49
Why is he still allowed to drive after such an admission? He can’t be safe if he’s not fully visually aware of everything happening around him.
cdfemke (@cdfemke)
13th July 2024, 18:14
Most drivers use lenses
SteveP
12th July 2024, 12:40
You have fully mastered the art of understatement.
I look on some sites and wonder which toxic waste pit the contributors come from, then ignore the site(s) until I mostly forget the content.
A big thank you to Keith and co. keeping this place mostly clean.
Osnola
12th July 2024, 13:04
A flurry of new accounts attacking verstappen with the most ridiculous remarks.
And silverstone is brought up by british press in reaction to the minor contact between jorris and verstappen in austria.
So far for objective media..lol
David BR (@david-br)
12th July 2024, 13:41
What ‘new accounts’? They seem to be precisely like yours, unregistered. Could be anyone. Is it so difficult for you to sign in? If so, what basis have you to complain about anyone else?
SteveP
12th July 2024, 18:29
and pro RBR/Max
‘They’ could all be RBR staff posting and I could be Merc staff. Who (beyond Keith & Co) knows.
Osnola
12th July 2024, 22:00
New, as in only very recent on this site and reacting against verstappen.
But you already knew that ;)
SteveP
12th July 2024, 18:34
I think you will find that the press concerned are normally referred to as “gutter press” in polite terms, I’m sure everyone else has similar in their country.
They’re like roaches, you can’t kill them off.
So, if you’d like to treat them with the contempt they deserve, feel free.
grat
12th July 2024, 15:15
Sorry to hear he’s still having issues from that crash, but I have to ask… Why did he turn in? He had enough of a performance advantage he could have let Hamilton have the corner, and passed him on the next straight.
While Hamilton was found to be “predominantly” to blame, that’s not the same as “entirely” to blame. Much has been made of the fact that Hamilton “missed” the apex, but as far as I know, missing the apex is not in violation of the rules, and “closing the door” on your opponent is an age-old tactic– and Max turned into Hamilton, not the other way around. Max took an unnecessary risk after Hamilton told him point blank that he wouldn’t be backing out of their next encounter.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
13th July 2024, 3:14
It didn’t look like verstappen had enough performance advantage to repass, it looked like the battle would’ve continued for the rest of the race, the cars seemed evenly matched at that track, shame it didn’t happen.
SteveP
13th July 2024, 8:34
I think at that point the cars were pretty even with each being a little better in curves or straights, but Max/RBR had a tendency to burn through the tyres.
The most likely scenario is a gradual build of a gap with that tyre advantage leading to the same winner, but a different P2
sam
12th July 2024, 17:35
Why bring it up now? That’s the only question.
What are you up to Max?
EnoughIsEnough
13th July 2024, 21:04
Lewis Hamilton has a history of understeering into his opponents and sending them flying. He should have been banned for what he did at Silverstone in 2021.
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 22:07
Verstappen was partly to blame. So ban him also?
Mayrton
14th July 2024, 9:06
This comment section was particularly alarming but also insightful. It distinguishes fans from people just blindly disliking a driver, no matter what the topic is and without any argumentation. Valuable information on who to take seriously and who not in future comments.
MadMax (@madmax)
14th July 2024, 15:40
Like the HAM hate guys here. Would be nice to be able to ignore/block those anti fans of F1 as a sports.
R D
18th July 2024, 2:53
Sooo many “experts” here. Bottom line is Max could have backed out. That’s what he expects everyone else to do.