2021 - Race 21 Saudi Arabia

[Nitrodaze]

Overall I'd agree. If the DRS situation wasn't in play, none of this would have likely happened. Despite what was claimed, I think Lewis was playing the game just as hard, and though the brake check wasn't a legal move, it wasn't wise to tuck in right behind and play the game either. I'm sure the stewards looks at both the drivers telemetry in their decision, and finding one predominantly at fault doesn't mean the other did no wrong.

They had already scrubbed off a lot of speed playing cat and mouse, and neither wanted to be the first over the DRS line.

I think any driver on the grid would have done exactly what Hamilton did. He was trying to harness the slipstream from Verstappen in order to overtake. That is the standards racing technique. Hamilton wanted Verstappen to drive on fast enough to provide the slipstream, Verstappen wanted Hamilton to pass on the dirty side of the track before the DRS line so that he can receive DRS in order to allow him to overtake Hamilton. They both had a card up their sleeves, but Verstappen got frustrated when Hamilton did not overtake and applied the brakes in anger it seemed. This is where he became a culprit for a penalty.

Though l initially thought he wanted to take out Hamilton, l believe that was not the case. He simply lost his cool.