Honda worried about current title battle for Verstappen after crash
Jul.22 - Even Honda is weighing into the controversy surrounding championship leader Max Verstappen's high speed crash at Silverstone last Sunday.
When asked by the specialist Japanese outlet As-Web what he will say when he bumps into Toto Wolff in the paddock in Hungary, Honda's F1 boss Masashi Yamamoto admitted: "I would like to say that turn 9 was very tough".
Indeed, Mercedes' Hamilton tried an overtaking move on the inside of Silverstone's almost flat-out Copse corner and tapped Verstappen into a crash that left the Dutchman briefly in hospital.
"In the end, I think it's a racing accident, but the opponent is a person who has won the championship seven times," Yamamoto noted.
However, one argument is that all Verstappen had to do to avoid the collision and safely finish second behind Hamilton was to let the seven time world champion complete the move.
When asked about that, Yamamoto responded: "I think Max thought he was able to stay in front without hitting him. In other words, I don't think Max thought it was ok to collide.
"On the contrary, I think Lewis had more time than to do it on the first lap. And then when he did it with Leclerc at the end of the race, it was not as tough as it was with Max, right?
"I feel like he could have aborted with Leclerc at any time, but with Max on the first lap, it seemed like there was only one chance," the Japanese added.
When told that it sounds like Yamamoto needed to get his feelings off his chest, he continued: "It's just the way it is. If I want to say one more thing, I'll say - it was a tough race, right?"
Red Bull has revealed that Verstappen's chassis is a total write-off, but the extent to the damage to the Honda engine is less clear.
"I just pray that the power unit is safe," Yamamoto admitted.
If the engine is scrap, though, that is another major blow to championship leader Verstappen's title hopes.
"I don't want to think about that," said Yamamoto, "but if it happens, we'll have to think about whether to race with the first or the third engine.
"There are only three engines a year, so it is essential to get it right. I'm worried when I think about the championship battle," he admitted.
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Hamilton has a long history of safe driving and Verstappen's comparatively short history is of a risk taker.
Yamamoto thinks that Verstappen thought he could stay in front on the corner without hitting Hamilton's car. That would point to an error of judgement causing the ensuing accident.
What is the sense of griping and moaning about a Stewart's ruling which must be observed. Lewis who has never questioned a ruling Won. He can be proud of all ha has achieved and done for his county and the sport. One thing he has NEVER done is commit a crime which was said more than once.
How many points does Lewis have on his super licence now 8 isnt it?
Max Zero, purely for equal argument purposes
How many years has Hamilton been racing and how many years has Verstappen been racing?Hardly a valid comparison .
6 of the 8 points were gained in 2020 and 2 in Silverstone, you do know how points work in F1 ? ok hell lose some of the six as the season progresses but as of today he has 8
As my grandma would say about Max, "he is like a bull in a china shop!". He doesn't have the intelligence to know when he should back off and preserve his world championship by coming second. His high risk manoeuvre has cost him at least the 18 points he would have received for coming second!
Someone should take Max aside and tell him a few home truths about his extreme risk style of do or die ~ because that may be the outcome if he doesn't wake up!
Grandma s a big fan is she fair play
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