Verstappen escapes punishment for Hamilton contact at Hungary GP
21st July 2024Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has escaped punishment after he collided with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the first corner of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Feature image credit: Red Bull Content Pool
On lap 63 of the Hungary GP, contact was made once again between Hamilton and Verstappen but both drivers were able to continue on, unlike their previous encounters with contact; Silverstone ‘21 and Monza ‘21.
On the run down to turn one, Verstappen locked up into the corner and went straight on whilst making contact with Hamilton’s W15 on the way by.
The issue was quickly noted by the stewards and upgraded to an investigation which was concluded after the race had ended – won by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
It was speculated that Verstappen was at risk of receiving a penalty as a result of the contact but the stewards saw it differently and they will take no further action into the matter.
The stewards heard from both Verstappen and Hamilton, including their team representatives. In the meeting, they reviewed positioning/marshalling data, video, timing, telemetry and in-car evidence.
During the hearing, Verstappen – as heard on the team radio after the incident, mid-race – continued to claim Hamilton changed direction under braking whereas Hamilton concluded it was a racing incident.
Hamilton argued he was simply taking the racing line which the stewards ‘confirmed by examination of video and telemetry evidence of previous laps.’
The stewards dismissed Verstappen’s claims that Hamilton changed direction under braking but concluded the seven-time world champion ‘could’ve done more to avoid the collision.’
As the stewards believed no one driver was ‘predominantly to blame’ they decided to take no further action with the incident.
In turn, this leaves Hamilton’s third-place and Verstappen’s fifth-place finishes unaffected.
Read more Formula 1 here:
- Piastri takes maiden F1 win at Hungary GP after team-radio trouble
- Lando Norris heads McLaren front-row lockout at Hungary GP
- Lando Norris leads McLaren 1-2 finish in Hungary GP FP3
- Lando Norris wraps up FP2 with fastest time ahead of Verstappen
- Carols Sainz leads FP1 at Hungarian GP ahead of Verstappen
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
