Max Verstappen likely avoided a penalty by letting Lando Norris overtake him early in the Hungarian Grand Prix after passing his rival off-track at the start.
The Red Bull driver went into turn one alongside the two McLaren drivers, with Norris in the middle and Oscar Piastri on the inside. While both McLaren drivers stayed on the track, Verstappen went off, and rejoined the track in front of Norris.Norris immediately accused his rival not only of gaining a position off the track, but deliberately carrying too much speed into turn one so he would pass the McLarens on the way in before running wide.
“Max has to give the position,” Norris told his race engineer Will Joseph. “He committed to the outside so he would run off. You can’t do that.”
“We’ve informed race control,” Joseph replied. “He was only ahead because he braked way too deep,” Norris reiterated. “He committed to the exit.”
However Verstappen insisted he was pushed wide by the McLarens. “I got forced off,” he told race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. “I was ahead at the apex and he just opened the wheel. I got forced off.”
As race control no longer advises teams whether they should surrender positions to avoid penalties, Red Bull had to decide for themselves whether to give up the place. As the stewards first noted the incident, then announced they would investigate it, Red Bull decided to give up the position.
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“Max the incident is under investigation,” Lambiase told him. “I think our recommendation is you let this go, we can talk about it later. If you let Lando past down to turn one.”
“Why can they not just say what they think and then we decide?” Verstappen asked. “This is bullshit.”
“So you can just run people off the track then?” he continued after letting Norris through into second. “You can tell the FIA that’s how we’re going to race now onwards. Just drive people off the road.”
The stewards later announced Verstappen would not be penalised for the incident because he had given up the place to Norris. However they also stated he had gained an advantage by going off the track, indicating he would have received a penalty if he hadn’t returned the position.
“Car one [Verstappen] left the track at the exit of turn one while being alongside car four [Norris] which was alongside car 81 [Piastri].
“Car one rejoined the track in front of Car 4 thereby gaining an advantage. However, the driver gave back the position to Car 4 subsequently upon instruction from the team, therefore no further action is taken as no lasting advantage was gained.”
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2024 Hungarian Grand Prix
- Verstappen names Hungarian GP the most stressful moment of his title-winning year
- McLaren team orders “a new situation we’re inexperienced at handling” – Piastri
- Verstappen dismisses critics of “vocal” radio messages and late-night simracing
- Norris’ former McLaren team mates say he was right to give up win
- Mercedes surprised Hamilton’s car was “completely unscathed” in Verstappen clash
BLS (@brightlampshade)
21st July 2024, 15:34
Jeez, Max is not having a happy weekend!
Will he even finish this race, sounds like his head is gone.
BasCB (@bascb)
21st July 2024, 16:15
He was close to not making it in the end yeah! A rattled Max, starting to feel all the issues and imperfectness of the car, clearly fuming at moments until his engineer seemed to be really fed up with him.
Mayrton
21st July 2024, 19:24
It was certainly not Verstappens best outing today. Neither a good execution from McLaren again. Piastri again too low on pace. Norris not putting his foot down. All very disappointing. From the top drivers only Hamilton did well today, a deserved podium for him!
Broderick Harper (@banbrorace)
21st July 2024, 15:37
Love the way McClaren, seem not to have realised that Norris is the only driver that has any chance of beating Max.
Ridiculous stuff!! Could you imagine this going on with Fernando, Lewis or Max!!
Mayrton
21st July 2024, 19:25
Yes, totally incomprehensible. And I also feel sorry for Piastri getting his first win in this manner.
MadMax (@madmax)
21st July 2024, 15:37
The swearing bully just cant help himself but to crash into his opponents.
Broderick Harper (@banbrorace)
21st July 2024, 15:38
Hilarious, that even his team have had enough of him today!!
MadMax (@madmax)
21st July 2024, 15:47
I must say, I didnt really get the ‘its childish’ message. Astonishing that the RBR was able to take that huge drop, esp. engine-wise.
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
21st July 2024, 15:47
The question of it being a great car or a great driver was answered today.
MadMax (@madmax)
21st July 2024, 15:48
yep, for sure not the latter.
Sumedh
21st July 2024, 16:07
“You can tell the FIA that’s how we’re going to race now onwards. Just drive people off the road.”
Hmm Max, remember Sao Paolo 2021?
KB Davies
21st July 2024, 16:13
Even Hungary 2024 today? He actually drove Hamilton off the track at the start, otherwise, Lewis would have been ahead of him.
BasCB (@bascb)
21st July 2024, 16:16
Indeed, KB Davies, it’s rather rich for Max of all people be the one to claim that is somehow a change.
w0o0dy
21st July 2024, 16:09
Hamilton with the trademark intentional touch on the back wheel again… Pathetic.
Yes Max locked up but there was load of room and no legitimate reason for Hamilton to turn in. If the Fia let this slide (again) they will show their true colours… (Again). Intentional contact =2 race ban… Or at least, it used to be.
slowmo (@slowmo)
21st July 2024, 16:16
And yet no penalty so I guess you are wrong. It was pretty obviously just another Verstappen dive bomb hoping others would jump out of his way. Guess what, drivers not having to worry about the title fight will not be letting that happen anymore. You reap what you sow. I thought it ridiculous he didn’t get a 10s penalty for causing a collision to be honest.
KB Davies
21st July 2024, 16:17
You must be on something strong to blame Hamilton for that desperate kamikaze dive Max is known for.
Remember the last lap in Monaco 2019? He did the same thing.
Lewis actually braked and kept going straight for as long as he could. He even turned left!
Verstappen fans are truly a special kind of a four letter word.
w0o0dy
21st July 2024, 16:23
You can read right? It says all in my previous comment. Not avoiding contact is intentional accident…
grat
21st July 2024, 18:56
This is racing, and unlike whatever universe you live in, there is no “everyone’s a winner” attitude. Hamilton was on, and remained on, the racing line. While the stewards admitted Hamilton could have done more to avoid the accident, he wasn’t really under any obligation to do so.
Verstappen should have received a penalty– he was totally out of control entering the corner, with no chance of making the apex without using Hamilton as a brake.
slowmo (@slowmo)
21st July 2024, 16:17
I think this race just ended Perez career at Red Bull. They cannot afford to keep him in the car now.
Mayrton
21st July 2024, 19:27
And I also feel it ended the relation between Max and RedBull. Yuki and Daniel in 2025?
BassClef (@bassclef)
21st July 2024, 17:37
Max should have been sent back to tenth or eleventh place. Had there been something other than asphalt in the corner he would have lost all of his momentum and been passed by half the field. Same as if he had braked enough to avoid going off. The stewards need to consider what the result would have been had the driver taken the correct option in determining where they should end up.