Lewis Hamilton comments on Max Verstappen incident in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton believes there was a team miscommunication due to which he did not know Max Verstappen had slowed down. The Briton, who hit the Dutchman while the latter tried to let the former pass, felt he was lucky to escape the collision and drama within the race.

Describing the Turn 1 incident from his point of view, Lewis Hamilton said:

“At this point of the… obviously, I knew that Max had overtaken two of us by going over Turn 2, which, at the beginning of the race, we were told that that wasn’t allowed. But I hadn’t yet had the information yet that he would be backing off, so all of a sudden he started slowing down into [Turn] 27 where the DRS zone is but it wasn’t quite clear to me, it was a bit confusing and then all of a sudden, he slowed down at a real… at a rapid pace, and that’s when I had to avoid going completely up the backside of him.”

According to the seven-time world champion, he was not informed about Verstappen's slowdown and the confusion led him to collide with his contender. But Lewis Hamilton was heard venting about the Dutchman on his radio, thinking the driver brake-tested him.

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Lewis Hamilton "grateful" to finish race without further drama

Although Verstappen did not brake-test the seven-time world champion, him braking at that point was enough to earn him a 10-second penalty after the race. Lewis Hamilton, however, was grateful he did not take both cars out, and that both he and his title rival was able to finish the race.

Concluding the dramatic incident as a lucky one, Lewis Hamilton said:

“Yeah, I felt grateful that I obviously didn’t take us both out. For me, I need to be finishing both races and get all these points and it’s obviously tough to do so in these circumstances, but yeah, I managed to keep the car in one piece.”

At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend, it will be the first time since 1974 that two drivers arrive at a season finale tied for most championship points. As things stand, both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have 369.5 points each, with Verstappen getting the nod on account of more race wins.