18/07/2021
NEWS STORY
Red Bull boss, Christian Horner has hit out at Lewis Hamilton, calling the seven-time world champion an "amateur" and his eighth Grand Prix win as "hollow".
His comments follow today's controversial first lap clash which saw Max Verstappen hospitalised after a collision with the world champion just nine corners into the race.
While many see the incident as a racing incident, the stewards penalised the British driver claiming that he failed to avoid contact with the Dutchman, subsequently handing him a 10s penalty, though he went on to win the race.
Naturally, the clash has resulted in a war of words.
"Max has incurred a 51g accident," Horner told Sky Sports. "Lewis Hamilton is an eight-time world champion, he shouldn't be making manoeuvres like that. It's unacceptable.
"Thank goodness, the biggest result for us today is that he's uninjured," he added, though he's having to go to hospital.
"I hope Lewis is very happy with himself, he stuck a wheel up the inside in a corner you just know you don't do that. You just don't stick a wheel up the inside at Copse, in that corner, in those circumstances.
"He was nowhere near ahead," he insisted, "it was contact, left front to right rear, and the speed they're travelling, it's one of the fastest corners in the championship.
"Lewis has got more than enough experience to know that's unacceptable and, as I say, I'm just very disappointed that a driver of his calibre should make such a move. It's dangerous, he's put a competitor at risk, it looked desperate and thank goodness he was uninjured. Max is in hospital getting himself checked out.
"I don't care what Lewis has to say, have a look on your own analysis, draw your own comparisons, for me, that's a hollow victory."
In a subsequent Zoom press conference, when it was suggested that Hamilton was alongside Verstappen, Horner was quick to respond.
"He didn't," he snapped, "he ran wide. If you look at the overhead, he's run wide into the corner. He's carried too much speed.
"That move was never on," he continued. "Lewis is a world champion of seven titles. That was an amateur's mistake and a desperate mistake. I don't care what Lewis says. Have a look at your own analysis, draw your own comparisons. For me, that's a hollow victory.
"Putting a fellow driver in hospital, writing off the car, and receiving a menial penalty and winning the grand prix doesn't feel like much of a penalty," said the Briton. "I think it just felt like a desperate move from Lewis. He lost the start, went down the straight, wheel banging with Max down there, then to stick a wheel up the inside of Copse corner, one of the fastest corners in the championship, pretty much flat out, 180 mph, there's only ever going to be one consequence like that.
"It's just disappointing from a seven-time world champion that he makes such a desperate move and puts a fellow driver in hospital."
Indeed, Horner believes that after claiming pole for Saturday's Sprint, but subsequently losing out to his title rival, Hamilton was left frustrated.
"I think he was wound up by yesterday's result," he said, "you could see that yesterday. And I think, the atmosphere, the crowd and everything, he was obviously pretty motivated and made a massive misjudgement. Yes, he got a penalty for it, but it's fairly meaningless.
"That was his only opportunity... he knew had Max come through that corner, he might not have seen him again for the afternoon. For me, it was a desperate move that thankfully didn't have worse consequences than a written-off car and a bruised and battered driver."
However, Red Bull's Lord High Executioner, Helmut Marko went further, suggesting that the seven-time world champion deserved a race ban.
"You can't do that with the normal sporting code," he told Sky Germany. "I don't know what the maximum penalty would be, but such dangerous and reckless behaviour should be punished with a suspension or something.
"If a competitor massively touches your rear wheel with his front wheel, in the fastest corner of the course, then that's no longer a racing accident. That is negligent to dangerous behaviour.
"The replays showed that quite clearly, he went into our right rear wheel with his left front wheel and sent Verstappen into the barrier."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Silverstone, here.