18/07/2021
NEWS STORY
In their investigation of today's controversial first lap clash, the Silverstone stewards say that Lewis Hamilton failed to avoid contact with Max Verstappen.
In all honesty, had it continued, F1 fans of a certain age might have ended up passing out in need of oxygen, such was the frantic action in the opening moments of today's British Grand Prix.
Having learned his lesson from yesterday, when his title rival, Verstappen got the jump on him, world champion Lewis Hamilton was fully prepared second time around.
Though the Dutchman still got away well, Hamilton was with him all the way, and through every corner that followed the pair fought, both using every trick in the book, their every twist and turn cheered on by the huge crowd.
Finally, having pulled alongside Verstappen on the National Straight, as they headed into Copse, Hamilton was on the inside, Verstappen on the outside as they prepared for the Beckets, Maggots complex that follows.
However, as they battled for position, Hamilton caught the right-rear of the Red Bull with his left-front, sending Verstappen spinning off and crashing into the tyre wall backwards at high speed.
While the safety car was initially deployed, shortly after the race was red flagged as Verstappen climbed from his car to be taken to the medical centre.
As the drivers headed back to the pits ahead of the restart, representatives of both Red Bull and Mercedes were bombarding race director Michael Masi.
While Christian Horner laid the blame squarely at Hamilton's door, Helmut Marko went even further, calling for a race ban for the Briton.
The stewards, having reviewed the video and telemetry evidence, deemed that Verstappen and Hamilton entered Turn 9 (Copse) with the Red Bull in the lead and the Mercedes slightly behind and on the inside.
Hamilton was "on a line that did not reach the apex of the corner, with room available to the inside" they said, and when Verstappen "turned into the corner, Car 44 (Hamilton) did not avoid contact and the left front of Car 44 contacted the right rear of Car 33 (Verstappen)".
Finding that Hamilton "is judged predominantly at fault", the Briton was handed a 10s penalty and 2 penalty points.
That is the official finding, no doubt Red Bull and Mercedes have their own view of the incident.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Silverstone, here.