Max Verstappen Avoids Penalty After Controversial Clash with Lewis Hamilton at Hungarian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen will not face any penalties for his collision with Lewis Hamilton during the Hungary race, as the stewards have decided not to take any action.

Max Verstappen has avoided a penalty from the Formula 1 stewards after his collision with Lewis Hamilton during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The competitors for the 2021 F1 championship collided on the 63rd lap at the Hungaroring while contending for third position.

Verstappen tried to pass Hamilton on the inside at the first turn.

The driver from the Netherlands lost control of his front tires, causing him to go off course and subsequently collide with Hamilton.

Verstappen was launched into the air and veered off the track, yet he managed to keep going and ended up in fifth place.

The three-time world champion claimed he was not at fault after the race, asserting that the maneuver was legitimate and that Hamilton had changed his position while braking.

The Mercedes driver dismissed Verstappen’s criticism with a laugh as he achieved the 200th podium finish of his Formula 1 career.

The officials have chosen not to impose any penalties, stating that "no single driver was primarily at fault."

Nonetheless, they mentioned that Hamilton "might have taken additional steps to prevent the crash."

The announcement stated: "As they neared the first corner, both Car 44 and Car 1 passed Car 23. Car 44 moved back onto the racing line before the braking area and began to make the turn into the first corner."

Car 1 entered the turn at a higher speed than before, thanks to the DRS, but still applied the brakes at the same spot as earlier laps. The driver of Car 1 claimed that Car 44 was altering its direction while braking. On the other hand, the driver of Car 44 insisted that he was just maintaining his usual racing path, a statement supported by video footage and telemetry data from previous laps.

"It was evident that Car 1's front wheels locked up as it approached turn 1, before any collision happened, and it failed to follow the usual path for a standard overtaking move."

The driver of Car 44 described the situation as a racing incident, whereas the driver of Car 1 contended that it involved a change of direction while braking.

The Stewards believe this situation doesn't fit the usual criteria for "altering direction while braking," but they do think the driver of Car 44 could have taken additional steps to prevent the crash.

“We have concluded that no single driver was primarily responsible, and therefore, we have chosen not to pursue any further measures.”

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