Max Verstappen drew a lot of criticism for the Monza crash with Lewis Hamilton. Not only for the contact itself, but also for the consequences it could have brought to the British (if it had not been for the Halo) and the apparent indifference to the physical condition of the rival. The Dutch in fact, after the contact at the First Variant, got out of his ‘parked’ Red Bull in the Mercedes, quickly turned his gaze to Hamilton and then pulled straight into the pits. Some say the championship leader basically ignored the Brit. It all depends on what Verstappen saw when he turned his gaze to the # 44 Mercedes: if Hamilton had been immobile at that juncture, then the critics of Super Max would be right; if instead Hamilton (as he actually did) was trying to get out of the gravel, it was clear that his physical condition was good or sufficient to continue the race. And, indeed, it would have been dangerous to approach a car that could potentially re-enter the track.
According to Daniel Ricciardo, the Dutchman would never have walked away if he had seen Hamilton in pain: “I know Max, we’ve been teammates for a few years and that’s how he is. He is a driver who gives everything on the track. I think maybe he still had some anger and frustration from Silverstone. Maybe that’s why he left. I saw him get out of the car but stop just ahead, I think where Lewis was trying to reverse and get out of the gravel. Maybe Max saw it and thought ‘Okay, Lewis is fine‘, but I’m not sure“He told the podcast Pardon my Take. “If we had an accident and knew the other driver was injured, I’m 100% sure we would all try to help., we would not turn away. As for the incident itself, I don’t think Max’s action was stupid, he saw an opportunity and played it, even though it didn’t go well.“.
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