Monza drama: Hamilton criticizes Verstappen's behavior

The accident in which the cockpit protection saved the seven-time record world champion from something worse will not soon be forgotten. “Now there is finally a new fight between two monsters who hate each other,” said the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia martial.

The images of Verstappen's Red Bull on Hamilton's Mercedes were indeed frightening. “The next big bang,” was the headline Süddeutsche Zeitung , “Full speed into drama” the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . The Swiss saw the “super crash of the two title hunters”. View , a “war” the Italian Journal of Sport and other media. The Monza autodrome “soon became a brutal bullfighting arena,” wrote La Repubblica . Formula 1 legend sees Verstappen as to blame “It only takes a millisecond to go from racing to a very scary situation,” said Hamilton himself. Someone was looking out for him, said the Mercedes driver. “I don't want to think that of any driver, but I think it was either a misjudgment or a calculated move to collide with Lewis,” said former British world champion Damon Hill, referring to Verstappen's action. “They don’t owe each other anything. In that sense it’s fun too.” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff Hamilton's guardian angel is of course called Halo, the "halo" in the form of cockpit protection, which has been mandatory in Formula 2018 since 1. Without the device, which was initially derided as a “flip-flop bar” or the like, the incident could have been “much worse,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. The Viennese also expressed understanding for the basic motives of the two drivers: “We see a fight between two really top drivers. A young boy coming, whose future lies ahead of him, and the Lewis with seven world titles. And I think it's great that we can be witnesses to this fight, that we can experience it and comment on it. They don't owe each other anything. In that sense it’s fun too.”

Lewis Hamilton didn't get out of the car until a few laps later. © APA/afp / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

Verstappen, understandably, had little fun, as a botched pit stop before the collision had spoiled his mood in the car. “The start was bad, the strategy was bad. The pit stop was bad and then the crash with Lewis,” said the Dutchman after a disappointing weekend. Hamilton surprised by Verstappen The championship leader, who was the victim of a collision between the two during Hamilton's home win at Silverstone two months ago, left the scene of the accident without looking at his rival. “I saw Max get out and walk past,” said Hamilton. “That surprised me. When you have an accident like that, the first thing you want to know is that the other person is okay.”

Formula 1 sports director Ross Brawn said: “You have two fights on the farm, and that is the consequence.” The former companion of record world champion Michael Schumacher expects further tough duels: “No one will back down for even a moment until the end of the year, but I hope that the world championship will be decided on the track and not in the guard rails or in the race stewards’ office.” Red Bull disappointed with Verstappen penalty Due to the race jury's penalty, Verstappen has to drop three places on the starting grid in Russia in two weeks. Red Bull's motorsport consultant Helmut Marko did not agree with this, calling it a "racing accident". Team boss Christian Horner also found it “disappointing” that Verstappen was sanctioned for his maneuver. But we accept the stewards' decision." Marko: “Sochi was a Mercedes track in the past. But we were competitive everywhere this year, and if everything comes together perfectly, then we can challenge Mercedes there too.”

With McLaren, a real competitor has now emerged for the two top teams Red Bull and Mercedes. Especially because Daniel Ricciardo seems to have really arrived. The Australian's victory in Monza ahead of team-mate Lando Norris ended an almost nine-year phase full of longing, but without a single success for the traditional British team.

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Monza drama: Hamilton criticizes Verstappen's behavior

The title fight in Formula 1 is heating up dramatically. “The halo saved Lewis' life today,” wrote Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton's serious crash with Max Verstappen in Monza. The reigning world champion was surprised by the Dutchman's behavior after the crash.

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