Verstappen Cleared in Hamilton Clash at Hungarian GP: No Penalties After Fierce Battle for Third

Max Verstappen won't face any F1 sanctions following his altercation with Lewis Hamilton in Hungary, as officials decided against taking any corrective measures.

Max Verstappen has avoided a penalty after the race from the Formula 1 officials for his clash with Lewis Hamilton during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

During the 2021 Formula 1 season, the competitors vying for the championship came into contact on the 63rd lap at the Hungarian Grand Prix, while they

Verstappen made a move to pass Hamilton on the inside as they approached the first corner.

The driver from the Netherlands braked too hard, causing his front tires to skid and overshoot the turn, leading to a collision with

Verstappen was launched into the air and off the circuit, yet managed to carry on, securing a fifth-place finish in the end.

Following the race, the triple world champion firmly maintained his innocence, asserting that the maneuver was completely justifiable and accusing Hamilton of changing direction while braking.

The driver from Mercedes dismissed Verstappen's negative comments with humor as he achieved his 200th podium finish in Formula 1.

The officials have concluded to not pursue any penalties, stating that “no driver was primarily at fault”.

Nevertheless, they acknowledged that Hamilton "might have taken further steps to prevent the crash".

The announcement stated: "Heading into the first turn, Cars 44 and 1 both passed Car 23. Before reaching the zone where drivers begin to slow down, Car 44 moved back onto the main track path and started to make the turn into turn 1.

Vehicle 1 entered the curve at a higher speed than in prior rounds, attributed to the use of DRS, and slowed down at the usual spot. The pilot of Vehicle 1 contended that the operator of Vehicle 44 was veering off course while decelerating. Conversely, the driver of Vehicle 44 maintained that he was merely adhering to his customary track route, a claim supported by a review of video and telemetry data from earlier laps.

It was evident that Car 1 braked hard, causing both front wheels to lock as it approached turn 1, before any collision took place, and deviated from the usual path taken for overtaking.

The person behind the wheel of Car 44 described the event as a typical racing situation, whereas the individual driving Car 1 contended it was a matter of altering course while applying the brakes.

"The officials do not view this incident as a standard example of 'altering course while braking.' However, they have concluded that the driver of Car 44 could have exerted more effort to prevent the collision."

"Thus, we conclude that no driver was primarily at fault and choose not to pursue any additional measures."

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