2024 - Race 13 Hungarian GP - Hungaroring

[The Black Knight]

There is usually more than one perspective of any incident in F1. Mostly depending on the support or dislike of one of the drivers involved. But let us try to take a fair objective view of what happened.

1. Verstappen breaks too late to make it around the corner, mainly because Hamilton breaks very late too. Breaking later than Hamilton was the only way for Verstappen to overtake Hamilton.
2. If you watch the clip of the incident, you will see that Hamilton left plenty of room on the inside for Verstappen to make an overtake if he had the car under control. He took a wider line in preparation to retake the position if Verstappen were to be able to complete a successful overtake
3. Hamilton had to turn in to go around the corner
4. Just like in Austria, Verstappen was carrying too much speed entering the apex to be able to turn in. His attempt to drastically reduce speed led to locking both front wheels.
5. Once the front tires were locked, the only direction Verstappen could go was straight on. He was a passenger from that point on.
6. Hamilton turns into the corner expecting Verstappen to turn into the corner also
7. The collision occurred because Verstappen was unable to turn into the corner and went straight across the front of Hamilton's car. For the second time, a Redbull goes flying airborne around a Mercedes.
8. Verstappen appears to be ahead because he was not slowing down to turn into the corner relative to Hamilton who had successfully slowed the Mercedes to be able to execute a controlled turn into the corner

Hence, l agree with you completely

Some would say Hamilton could have done more to prevent the collision. I don't think that is the case. The collision was inevitable even if Hamiton had not turned in. The only real way to avoid damage was for Hamilton to join Verstappen off-track which only helps Verstappen to take the position from the resulting avoidance. As he did with Norris in Austria.

Without the speed of the Redbull, we get to see the true level of racecraft Verstappen is lacking in wheel-to-wheel combat. He is fast but not up there with the best racers of this generation when it comes to wheel-to-wheel intelligence and racecraft. The likes of Hamilton, Alonso, Sainz, Perez and Ricciardo comes to mind.

This is the way I see it as well. You look back to Imola, Spain 2021 where Hamilton backed out, was forced off track and let Verstappen by. He simply isn't doing this anymore. Ultimately this is what caused their comings together in Silverstone and Monza that year as well. This is what caught Verstappen in Hungary. Verstappen seems to think it's okay to simply drive others off the track once he makes the corner and gains a position. This isn't the case and others aren't willing to be bullied by him anymore. Verstappen, much like Vettel in his Red Bull days, has all the signs of a driver that never receives consequences for his actions and is overrated. I still firmly believe that, like Vettel, he'll be found out some day. The cracks are beginning to show already when he's under a tiny bit of pressure, he just can't handle it because he has been so pampered and gifted titles by the sports governing body.

I do agree with the Stewards that Hamilton could have avoided the crash, I just don't see why he should have avoided it. This sort of stuff needs to keep happening until Max either loses a title over it or his brain comprehends that this is not how you go racing but, right now, he has more to lose than anyone else.