Before their comeback to Silverstone this week, Max Verstappen insists he and Lewis Hamilton, his adversary for the 2021 Formula 1 championship, have no hard feelings after the incident at Copse last year.
Both two drivers crashed on the first lap of the 2017 British Grand Prix, causing Verstappen’s Red Bull vehicle to have a 51G hit with the fence at the end of the fast right-hander.
Due to the crash, Verstappen had to be brought to the hospital for precautionary tests. Hamilton was handed a 10-second time penalty for also being mostly to blame, but he still managed to win the race.
It intensified hostilities between the two drivers.Verstappen believes Hamilton should have received a heavier punishment because of his celebrating since he was in the hospital.
Verstappen is now in the lead in the F1 drivers’ standings one year after the incident, although this time Hamilton is not very close behind him due to Mercedes’ troubles with the new rules.
“Verstappen remarked of Silverstone, “Of course, the collision wasn’t good, but I enjoy the circuit.I enjoy visiting there.With Formula1, there is a great vibe, and we are moving very quickly.
As a result, I have no resentment.And I believe I can simply set these issues away.Of course, what occurred wasn’t pleasant, but you have to live with it.
It wasn’t a pleasant experience for me, but we’ll go there once more and attempt to win.”
While Verstappen often receives the biggest chunk of support from his touring Dutch supporters from most European tracks, the majority of the estimated audience of above 400,000 over three days at Silverstone will certainly be screaming on seven-time world champion Hamilton.
However, Verstappen had little anxiety over the crowd’s reaction: “The wonderful thing is, once we hop in the vehicle only with helmet on, you wouldn’t hear anymore.”
