Max Verstappen says he has "no hard feelings" ahead of his return to the site of his huge 180mph crash after contact with Lewis Hamilton.
The Red Bull star will race at Silverstone this weekend for the first time since the crash, which caused him to be taken to hospital for precautionary checks after a 51G impact. He is also bidding to win the British Grand Prix for the first time in his Formula 1 career.
He might have already managed that achievement last year, but he never got the chance to try after banging wheels with Hamilton on the first lap of the race. The Mercedes ace was given a time penalty for his role in the smash, but still went on to win with ease while Verstappen watched the celebrations on TV from the hospital.
The Dutchman responded angrily afterwards, and tensions between the title rivals only intensified from that point – leading to the epic and controversial Abu Dhabi finale. But it seems winning that duel has softened Verstappen, who insists he is feeling good ahead of his return to the scene of the crash.
"Of course, the crash wasn't nice, but I love the track," the Dutchman told GP Racing. "I love going there. It's [a] really good atmosphere with Formula 1, and we're going really quick around there. So I don't have any hard feelings. And I also think very easily I can put these things aside.
"Of course, it wasn't nice what happened, but at the end of the day, you deal with it. It wasn't a nice impact for me personally, but we go out there again and try to win of course."
While things were tight between Verstappen and Hamilton throughout the 2021 campaign, there is a clear gap opening up this year. With Mercedes struggling to get the performance they want out of their W13, Red Bull have leapt ahead to put themselves in a commanding position to win both titles this season.
Hamilton is a long way behind and seemingly already out of title contention, though he will no doubt be cheered on by the vast majority of the Silverstone crowd this weekend. Verstappen may receive a more hostile reception given his run-ins with the seven-time world champion, but he insists he will not be affected if that happens.
"The good thing is, once we jump in the car with the helmet on, you don't hear anything," added the runaway drivers' championship leader. "And they love motorsport. I mean, it's such a big history in England in general, right?"
