Lewis Hamilton plans talks with FIA stewards over Max Verstappen incident

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton: the best of enemies

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he plans to meet the FIA stewards over the verdict on his collision with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Verstappen and Hamilton made contact in the closing laps in Budapest last weekend after the Red Bull driver attempted a bold move down Hamilton’s inside at Turn 1.

Lewis Hamilton to approach FIA stewards over Max Verstappen clash

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

The reigning World Champion escaped a penalty for the clash, with the stewards deciding that Hamilton could have done more to avoid the incident.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at Spa ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Hamilton admitted he was “really, really surprised” by the verdict – and plans to take it up with the stewards.

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Asked if he was surprised by the ruling, he said: “Yes. Very much so. I was really, really surprised by it.

“I think already I was very relaxed about the situation just saying: ‘Look, it’s just a racing incident, let’s just move on.’

“But considering one car was in control and one car was not in control at the time. Obviously, when all the wheels are locked, you’re not in control.

“And if you look at the replay, at the end of the whole move I’m very, very far from the apex – there’s a lot of room on the right-hand side – so I was very, very surprised.

“That will be a question when I speak to [the stewards] at some stage.”

Hamilton revealed that he has not spoken to Verstappen since the clash, adding that they may cross paths during the pre-race drivers’ parade on Sunday at Spa if there is something the Red Bull man “wants to say.”

He added: “We didn’t talk afterwards. We went to the stewards and that’s it, but we’ve not had a talk.

“I don’t know if we will, if we’ll get time. Maybe we’ll talk on the [drivers’] parade this weekend, maybe.

“I’ve not felt like there is necessarily a need to. [There] might be something that he wants to say, but we didn’t get the time to do it.”

Hamilton’s comments come after he criticised Verstappen’s behaviour in Hungary and reminded his 2021 title rival to “act like a World Champion.”

He added: “You have to be a team leader, a team member.

“Maybe not such a team leader but just always remember you’re a team-mate with lots of people and you have to act like a World Champion.”

Asked to explain what acting like a World Champion entails, he laughed: “That’s a good question! Not like it was last weekend.”

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