Formula 1 | Controversy As Hamilton Wins His Eighth British GP

The British Grand Prix will definitely be remembered for producing one of the most dramatic and controversial moments of the 2021 season. Whilst battling for the lead on the opening lap of the race, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided.

With tensions high, there’s no surprise that the Red Bull camp were extremely unhappy, whilst Mercedes defended their British driver. The coming together proved to be highly divisive, and many words were exchanged.

As Verstappen was taken to hospital for precautionary checks, Hamilton proceeded to be crowned champion at Silverstone, winning his eighth-total British Grand Prix. It was also a much-needed win for the Mercedes driver, who closed the gap between him and Verstappen in the driver standings.

The Crash That Ended Verstappen’s Afternoon

The Copse corner at Silverstone is widely regarded as one of the fastest corners of the entire season. After Verstappen’s victory in the new ‘sprint’ race on Saturday, the Red Bull driver started the Grand Prix on pole position. Hamilton was placed in second.

From the off, the two were extremely close in the first lap of the race, with Hamilton looking for an overtake early on. It was clear that we were going to see an interesting and exciting race between the two at the top. However, heading into the Copse corner, the drivers collided.

As they turned into the corner, Hamilton had most of his car alongside the race leader. When Verstappen realised, he had squeezed him tight to the inside of the track, before attempting the corner.

As a result of this, Hamilton approached the Copse corner on a very shallow angle, and had to back off a little, otherwise he would touch Verstappen. However, with rivalry and tensions extremely high, Hamilton continued with his line. Hamilton’s front left tyre made contact with the rear right of Verstappen, and sent the Red Bull into a huge 51G impact with the barriers.

The Social Media Reaction

Following the Grand Prix, the major talking point was the crash involving Hamilton and Verstappen. Out of all of the interviews that took place on Sunday evening, it’s extremely likely that everyone was asked about the incident.

Max Verstappen

On social media, Verstappen updated F1 fans with his situation, confirming that he is OK after the crash. On a post on Instagram, Verstappen said: “First of all: I’m glad I’m ok. It was quite an impact at 51G but feeling better.

“Obviously very disappointed with being taken out like this. The penalty given does not help us in any way and doesn’t do justice to the dangerous move Lewis made on track. Watching the celebrations after the race while still in hospital is disrespectful and unsportsmanlike behavior but we move on”.

Lewis Hamilton

Similarly, Lewis Hamilton also posted on his Instagram with his comments. Hamilton said: “Today is a reminder of the dangers we face in this sport and we should never take lightly the risks. I send my best wishes to Max who is an incredible competitor and I’m glad to hear he is ok. I will always race hard but always fairly.

“I’m so proud of what we achieved today through teamwork. My team showed grit, perseverance, and commitment to this incredible sport. It’s a dream to win in front of my home crowd. This is for you. Never give up, keep rising, keep fighting”.

What Next For F1?

The Hungarian Grand Prix is up next in the 2021 calendar, where the drivers will all battle it out on the Hungaroring track. Max Verstappen will definitely be back out on the track ready to race once more.

It really will be an exciting race weekend with Verstappen’s return, whilst Hamilton will no doubt be looking to maintain his momentum with his latest win. The Hungarian GP takes place on August 1st – don’t miss it!

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