F1: Verstappen Handed 3-Place Grid Penalty For Crash With Hamilton

Max Verstappen has been handed a 3 place grid penalty for his crash with Lewis Hamilton during the Italian GP which resulted in both the drivers retiring from the race. The incident has been characterised by many as a racing accident but it did ensure Verstappen retained his lead of the world championship on a track where Hamilton and Mercedes were expected to be in the ascendency. 

Also Read: Verstappen and Hamilton Crash Again At Monza 

"Car 44 [Hamilton] was exiting the pits. Car 33 [Verstappen] was on the main straight. At the 50m board before Turn 1, car 44 was significantly ahead of car 33. Car 33 braked late and started to move alongside car 44, although at no point in the sequence does car 33 get any further forward than just behind the front wheel of car 44," said the report by the FIA Stewards. 

The world championship rivals came together again during the Italian GP at Monza 

"In the opinion of the stewards, this manoeuvre was attempted too late for the driver of car 33 to have "the right to racing room". While car 44 could have steered further from the kerb to avoid the incident, the stewards determined that his position was reasonable and therefore find that the driver of car 33 was predominantly to blame for the incident. In coming to the penalty the stewards emphasise that they have only considered the incident itself and not the consequences thereof," said the report. 

This means at the next race in Russia, Verstappen will take a 3-place grid penalty which could be further exaggerated by an engine penalty as Verstappen is still due for an engine change as a consequence of the accidents he suffered at Silverstone and Hungary. 

Verstappen has now retired in 3 of the last five races which is extreme but also underpins the volatile nature of the rivalry with Hamilton. As for Hamilton, amazingly this was his first retirement since Austria in 2018. 

Hamilton escaped injury as the tyre of Verstappen's car landed on top of him, but was thwarted by the Halo

"I'm proud of the stewards. I need some time to reflect on it but it definitely sets a precedent and I think it's important for us moving forward for the safety of the drivers that there are rules in place," said Lewis Hamilton in the aftermath of the penalty. 

Naturally, Verstappen didn't feel the same way. "I don't fully agree with the penalty as I believe it was a racing incident," he said. 

It is likely Verstappen will now lose his lead of the world championship at Sochi, a track that's notorious for being hard for overtaking and another power sensitive circuit which could favour the Mercedes car of Lewis Hamilton.