The Hungarian Grand Prix was full of wild moments, but the one scene that takes the cake is when Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton were involved in a collision during a charge for the final spot on the podium.
Verstappen attempted to pass Hamilton on the track, but Hamilton's front right crashed into Verstappen's back left tire. This caused the Red Bull driver's rear to leap into the air, creating a dramatic scene on the track. This slowed Verstappen down, but he wasn't eliminated from the race.
Hamilton ended up in third, claiming his 200th podium finish, while Verstappen didn't reach the podium and settled for fifth.
The crash is currently under investigation by the FIA.
VERSTAPPEN AND HAMILTON COME TO BLOWS!!!!!!!#HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/kylueRON7X
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) July 21, 2024
HAMILTON X VERSTAPPEN REPLICANDO 2021!!!
— Blog Fórmula 1 (@blog_formula1) July 21, 2024
QUE LOUCURA!!!
F1 2024 É ISSO AÍ!!! pic.twitter.com/3GE9iiZdb4
The irony of the situation is that at the beginning of Sunday's race, Verstappen shot off a heated rant about McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri, who ended up winning his first Formula 1 race Sunday, and Lando Norris nearly coming together at the opening turn of the race.
"OK, so you can just drive people off the track then?" Verstappen could be heard telling his team on the radio. “You can tell the FIA that's how we're going to race from now onwards! Just driving people off the road!”
Verstappen and Hamilton have a history of controversial finishes at F1 races, the most notable one being the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when the FIA incorrectly allowed for a restart of the final lap. Verstappen passed Hamilton on that lap, which gave the Red Bull driver his first championship. Hamilton has expressed how he was "robbed" of the championship.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton Involved in Controversial Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix.
