It’s dangerous, he’s put a competitor at risk - Christian Horner savages Lewis Hamilton over Max Verstappen crash

ByEurosport

Updated 18/07/2021 at 18:55 GMT

“It shouldn’t be like that, to be honest with you,” Red Bull chief Christian Horner told Sky Sports following Lewis Hamilton's controversial win at the British Grand Prix. “Max has incurred a 51g accident. Lewis Hamilton is an eight-time world champion, he shouldn’t be making manoeuvres like that. It’s unacceptable."

Christian Horner put the boot into Lewis Hamilton, branding the Mercedes driver ‘dangerous’ for the manoeuvre that forced Max Verstappen off the track, and said the world champion’s win at the British Grand Prix was a "hollow victory".

Hamilton produced a thrilling drive after being hit with a 10-second penalty for causing a crash that sent Verstappen into the tyre barriers, and resulted in the Dutchman being taken to hospital.

He chased down Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in the final 10 laps, and cruised past the Frenchman with two laps remaining - much to the delight of the 140,000 fans in attendance at Silverstone.

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• British Grand Prix - as it happened
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Red Bull chief Horner made his feelings known when the race was red flagged to clear Verstappen’s car and fix the tyre barriers, and his mood had not improved in the two hours that followed.

“It shouldn’t be like that, to be honest with you,” Horner told Sky Sports. “Max has incurred a 51g accident. Lewis Hamilton is an seven-time world champion, he shouldn’t be making manoeuvres like that. It’s unacceptable.

Thank goodness, the biggest result for us today is that he’s uninjured, he’s having to go to hospital for precautionary checks.

“I hope Lewis is very happy with himself.

“He stuck a wheel up the inside in a corner you just know you don’t do that. You just don’t stick a wheel up the inside at Copse, in that corner, in those circumstances.

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 18: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on July 18, 2021 in Northampton, England.

Image credit: Getty Images

“He was nowhere near ahead, it was contact, left front to right rear, and the speed they’re travelling, it’s one of the fastest corners in the championship.”

Horner believes Hamilton should have known better than to dive down the inside at Copse, and felt the manoeuvre endangered another driver.

“Lewis has got more than enough experience to know that’s unacceptable and, as I say, Im just very disappointed that a driver of his calibre should make such a move,” Horner said.

It’s dangerous, he’s put a competitor at risk, it looked desperate and, thank goodness uninjured, he’s in hospital getting himself checked out.

“I don’t care what Lewis says, have a look on your own analysis, draw your own comparisons.

“For me, that’s a hollow victory.”

Reflecting on the 10-second penalty that Hamilton was handed down, Horner said: “It wasn’t much of a penalty really.”

Verstappen came into the race with a 33-point lead over Hamilton, but that has been cut to eight. The Hungarian Grand Prix takes place in two weeks’ time.

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