Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen crash: what happened and who was to blame?

It was bound to happen. After several close encounters, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen finally collided on track – with enormous consequences. It not just rekindled a championship that was drifting towards Red Bull but set it ablaze.

Hamilton left Silverstone with a record-breaking eighth victory at the track and renewed vigour. Verstappen left in an ambulance and with his 33-point lead cut to single figures. This first-lap crash was an incident that has changed 2021’s title fight for good.

Could either driver have done anything different? Was Hamilton’s penalty fair? Was Christian Horner correct to call it unacceptable? We break the controversial moment down from the start line to the clash and offer our verdict.

Watch: Fan Footage Captures Impact of Max Verstappen Crash at British Grand Prix

What happened?

Hamilton had already attempted to overtake pole-sitter Verstappen on a number of occasions before they touched at Copse corner, with the Dutchman flying off the track and slamming into the tyre wall at around 180mph.

Verstappen looked winded as he climbed out of the car and was checked over by paramedics but did not appear to be seriously hurt in the high-impact collision.

Verstappen's team, Red Bull, immediately pointed the finger of blame towards Hamilton, who was on the inside line but behind Verstappen when he turned in.

Hamilton, for his part, claimed he had the racing line, saying Verstappen "turned in on me". The stewards announced they would be investigating the incident, which led to a long pause as the race was red flagged before restarting in the pit lane. Hamilton was eventually given a 10-second time penalty.

Despite the penalty, the Mercedes driver hunted down Leclerc in the closing laps and passed the Ferrari to claim victory, the eighth of his career at Silverstone.

What they said

Lewis Hamilton on team radio
"I was ahead going in there, man. Fully alongside, it was my line. He turned in on me, man. It was a big hit on the left front, so do a big check. Is Max OK?"

Hamilton after winning the race
"I just don't feel like he needs to be as aggressive as he is.

"We are going down to Turn Six and he's bumping wheels with me. But it's cool because there's footage of old Formula 1 great drivers bumping wheels on the straight. So I'm sure it looks cool and everything but I tried to give him space but I was quite a long way up the inside into Nine and none of us backed out and that was the end result.

"But I took the penalty of course and it's never one person's fault, it's always a balance of the two. I don't feel anything now, I just channel it into my driving, which I did, and I'm proud I was able to do that in front of the crowd."

Max Verstappen's reaction on Twitter

Red Bull team director Christian Horner to race director Michael Masi
“Michael, look, that corner, he was never anywhere near alongside. Every driver who has driven at this circuit knows you do not stick a wheel up the inside at Copse.

“That’s an enormous accident and it was 100% Max’s corner, so as far as I’m concerned, full blame lays on Hamilton, who should never have been in that position.

“You could’ve had a massive accident, thank god he’s walked away unscathed. I hope you’re going to deal with it appropriately.”

Horner to Channel 4 when asked if the occasion got to Hamilton
“I think so, it was a desperate move. He failed to make the move in the first part of the lap, which he was obviously here to do.

"It’s one of the fastest corners in the world, you don’t stick a wheel up the inside, that’s just dirty driving.”

Horner to Sky Sports F1 after the race
"It shouldn't be like that to be honest with you. Max has incurred a 51G accident, Lewis Hamilton is a world champion and he shouldn't be making manoeuvres like that. It's unacceptable. He's put a driver... thank goodness the biggest result for us today is he was uninjured. He's having to go to hospital for precautionary checks after a 51G accident so I hope Lewis is very happy with himself.

"For me, that's a hollow victory."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff's exchange with Masi
Wolff: “Michael I just sent you an email with the diagrams where the car should be. Did you receive that?"

Masi: “Toto I don’t access my emails during the race deliberately as I concentrate on the race."

Wolff: “Well maybe you should look at this because there is something with the rules coming now."

Masi: “I suggest if you want to Toto, feel free to go upstairs and see the stewards directly."

Wolff after the race
"As for the incident, it always takes two to tango and these two are not giving each other an inch and it's a high-speed corner, and that's why these things are nasty to look at.

"But there is a clear regulation and that is something that's black and white on paper and as a racing driver you may have a different perspective from the car, but you need to exactly understand that if the front axle is over the middle of the car on the outside it's your car.

"Is that a corner that is equivalent to any other? Maybe not but an accident involves two drivers."

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas after the race
“I saw them fighting during lap one, a bit like yesterday [sprint qualifying].

“I had a feeling something was going to happen but obviously they were fighting hard.

“That kind of thing happens, that’s racing. It can happen when you fight hard and you don’t give up.

“I’m just happy Max is fine because it was a big shunt. But I really feel like Lewis fully deserved the win.”

Max's father Jos to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf
"It's really not acceptable what he [Hamilton] did.

"I think a 10 second penalty is really ridiculous. As far as I am concerned they should have just disqualified him.

"Max gives him space and is just in front of him. You can't overtake on the inside."

Former champion Jenson Button on Sky Sports F1
"Max left enough room, but at that speed, it's difficult to get around the corner on the inside. He had to back out and missed judged the apex which is fair enough because he's coming at such a speed from a new angle.

"It's a difficult one to have a definitive answer on who was wrong. I get the penalty because he put someone in the wall but it's a tricky one."

Former champion Damon Hill on Sky Sports F1
"We saw a level of aggression from Lewis that we haven't seen for a while.

"Lewis was very much on the attack and Max would have felt that Lewis was not going to give up any room. But he had to turn into Copse eventually.

"I think this is a high-level of aggression and attack from Lewis, sadly he's kept it on the inside and really banked on Max backing out of it, which he didn't do. I'm going to come down a bit on the racing incident side of things, but I can't see how they can't give Lewis a penalty. He could have backed out of Copse corner, that was a very ambitious move and the consequences were quite serious."

Aston Martin boss Otmar Szafnauer on Sky Sports F1
"I've watched it a few times now and to me, if that isn't a racing incident, nothing is.

"We've often talked about allowing the drivers to race over the first couple of laps for the benefit of the fans, and I think that's what happened there.

"To me it was 50-50 there. Max didn't have to turn in when he did and Lewis could have been further right, but to me 100 per cent a racing incident."

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Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber on Channel 4
"I think we can count on one hand, not too many occasions where Lewis Hamilton has been involved in something relatively controversial.

"Yes with Nico Rosberg, but this guy, I don’t think he will be proud of that move, he won’t be happy with it. He would have liked to have had that opportunity and that moment again to pull out of that move because it was Max’s corner right at the last minute.

"It was a tremendously optimistic location to pull a move off like that. A bit clumsy from Lewis."

Former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson on Twitter
"Lewis fault yesterday, but not far from a racing incident. Tough place to pass especially on L1 with a car full of fuel. But it’s a mental game and [I think] he wanted to show Max he will not back down. Can’t wait to follow it for the rest of the season. Bring on the drama."

The FIA's ruling

"The Stewards reviewed video and telemetry evidence. Cars 33 [Verstappen] and 44 [Hamilton] entered turn 9 with Car 33 in the lead and Car 44 slightly behind and on the inside.

"Car 44 was on a line that did not reach the apex of the corner, with room available to the inside.

"When Car 33 turned into the corner, Car 44 did not avoid contact and the left front of Car 44 contacted the right rear of Car 33. Car 44 is judged predominantly at fault."

Could either driver have done anything differently?

With hindsight it is easy to say that Verstappen, carrying a 33-point lead over Hamilton, should have backed down and played the the long game. He would have surrendered six or seven points, yes, but would still be a considerable advantage going into the Hungarian Grand Prix. Now his buffer has shrunk to just eight points.

That analysis ignores the fact that Verstappen got into his strong position by driving in this manner. Not every move has come off this season but at Imola and in France his boldness against Hamilton paid dividends. There was a chance to extend his lead to over 40 points, too. In short, it was a case of risk and reward. Hamilton had less to lose but was also the one who took a bigger risk in the move itself.

Red Bull’s Christian Horner was still furious after the race. “It's unacceptable. I hope Lewis is very happy with himself,” he said. “You just know you don't stick a wheel up the inside of Copse… it's one of the fastest corners of the championship.”

He seemed to suggest that Hamilton committed the F1 equivalent of a two-footed studs-up leg-breaking tackle. That is nonsense. At the same time, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff’s defence that Hamilton was far enough alongside the Red Bull that Verstappen should have yielded deserves short shrift.

Any overtake – on the inside or outside line – is legitimate on any corner, but it is the manner (and context) that is important. The collision happened mostly because Hamilton failed to hit the apex of the corner and a little because Verstappen kept a fairly – though not entirely – tight line. And ultimately that both men were fully committed.

Hamilton was in a similar position later in the race with Charles Leclerc and this time it worked without incident, securing victory. He was also in a comparable situation with his team-mate Valtteri Bottas back in 2019, too.

Back then he was on the outside, with Bottas sticking his car up the inside. Hamilton backed off, Bottas took the lead, and a collision was averted. An attempted overtake there is nowhere near as shocking as Horner suggests.

The context in 2019 was a little different, mind you, with them being team-mates. Clearly Verstappen brings about a different response in Hamilton and rightly so. What was in Hamilton’s mind this time? Perhaps the distant thought of losing more ground – his strategy required him to be ahead at the start of the race – as well as Verstappen’s robust defending throughout the preceding corners played a part.

“I will not back down from anyone,” Hamilton said after the race. The pair had already come within inches of each other several times this season and, on balance, Hamilton has been the one who has done most of the backing down. The Dutchman’s approach has been consistently aggressive, but Hamilton’s changed at Silverstone.

The first-lap battle in full

Turns 1 and 2 – Abbey and Farm: Hamilton gets the better start, but Verstappen keeps his lead
Verstappen's initial launch was fine, but Hamilton’s was better. After the first 100 or so metres both men are side by side and the Red Bull moves over to Hamilton on the right to defend. Hamilton has the inside line for the quick right-hander at Abbey and his nose just ahead. Verstappen does not yield – he dips a wheel off the track and drives aggressively over the kerbs at turn two to stay ahead.

Turns 3, 4 and 5 – The Arena: Hamilton bides his time and lines up his move

With Verstappen having to do hard defending through the slow right-left-left Arena section, Hamilton can pick the best line in order to get a better exit and slipstream from his rival down the straight. By the time both men are fully on the power Hamilton is just a few metres behind.

Turn six – Brooklands: Verstappen still on the back foot with yet more aggressive defending

With a short but effective slipstream Hamilton soon pulls alongside on the straight into turn six. Verstappen chooses the inside line for the tricky left-hander at Brooklands, also trying to break Hamilton’s tow in the process.

As both cars enter the braking zone and turn-in point, Hamilton has his rear wheels level with Verstappen’s front, but the Red Bull has the inside. There is a hint of contact.

Verstappen attacks the apex kerb and Hamilton gives him room to do so. In running wider the Mercedes scrubs off too much speed to keep the lead as Verstappen hugs the inside line on the exit and leads heading into the long, slow right-hander at Luffield.

Turn 7 – Luffield: The crucial move is set up as Hamilton takes a wider line

No chance of an overtake here. Verstappen is concerned with defending, so Hamilton sets up the overtake by carrying more speed into the corner, taking a wider line and a later apex. He is on the throttle earlier, carrying speed on exit as the Dutchman again runs wide.

Turn 8, Woodcote and the old pit straight: Verstappen moves to defend into Copse

With his better exit and the slipstream Hamilton closes right up. Verstappen has no choice but to defend early or risk losing the lead before the turning point for Copse. He moves across to the right – Hamilton follows him, then commits to the inside line.

Turn 9, Copse – Disaster; a crash at 170mph and Verstappen careers off into the barriers

With the inside line, Hamilton is alongside but not ahead of Verstappen at turn-in. Verstappen sees the Mercedes in his mirrors and puts a bit of steering lock to the left to give his rival room.

Hamilton commits to the inside and does not back out of the move but, crucially, – laden with fuel and with cold tyres – misses the apex.

His front left tyre hits Verstappen’s rear left, instantly detaching the Red Bull’s wheel and sending the Dutchman careening towards the barriers at high speed. Race over but not before a trip to the medical centre and hospital.

Who was to blame?

By Luke Slater

Although the stewards decided that Hamilton was predominantly to blame, the incident could have been avoided by either driver bailing out. But neither wanted to and it ended in tears – as it simply had to at some point.

Looking at all of the evidence above, Hamilton being “predominantly” at fault seems fair. His move was a riskier one and he was not ahead but only alongside Verstappen at turn in. The burden lies more with him to back out than the Red Bull driver.

In a slower corner – and in an incident with less far-reaching consequences and a less significant shunt – he may have escaped with just a five-second penalty. A 10-second penalty is a strange and rare one, though.

Was it a dangerous act of desperation and disrespect, as Red Bull’s Christian Horner claimed? There is a kernel of truth in the suggestion that it was desperate. Hamilton’s situation in the championship was approaching a critical point and it may have indeed become desperate had he fallen 40-plus points behind.

The move itself, though risky, was not dangerous nor disrespectful. Throughout the first lap Verstappen fought aggressively to defend his lead, by the time the drivers arrived at Copse at 180mph the rules of engagement had been drawn.

Whatever the rights and wrongs, this has poured fuel on the fire of a championship battle that had looked like dying out.

By Uche Amako

By giving Hamilton a 10 second penalty the race stewards felt the Mercedes driver was at fault and I just about agree them on the basis that with Verstappen slightly ahead going into the corner, the world champion could have backed out.

But with accusations that he has gone 'soft' it was great to see Hamilton driving so hard. Neither driver was willing to give an inch and F1 fans have been crying out for wheel to wheel action between them.

Verstappen has been very punchy with his driving against Hamilton and on this occasion, he lost out.