Verstappen thinks rules don’t apply to him, says Hamilton

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton says title rival Max Verstappen drove over the limit and as if the rules did not apply to him after the two collided in Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Hamilton exclaimed over the team radio that the Red Bull driver had “brake-tested” him after he ran into the back of Verstappen’s car and damaged his front wing.

Race stewards summoned both drivers after the race and found Verstappen “predominantly at fault” for the collision. He was given a penalty of 10 seconds, with no change to the result, and two penalty points.

Hamilton went on to win, and take the fastest lap, for Mercedes, with Verstappen second in a chaotic race with emotions running high and everything at stake. The pair are tied at the top on points with one race in Abu Dhabi remaining.

“I’ve raced a lot of drivers through my life,” Hamilton said.

“There’s a few at the top which are ... kind of, yeah, over the limit. Rules kind of don’t apply,” Hamilton said.

He said Verstappen, who leads him on race wins 9-8 and will be champion if neither scores another point, was one of those who fell into the category.

“He’s over the limit, for sure,” he said of a youngster who has admirers for his speed and talent while acquiring a reputation for aggressive and uncompromising racing.

“I’ve avoided collision on so many occasions with the guy and I don’t always mind being the one that does that, because you live to fight another day.”

Hamilton said he was not informed that his rival had been told to give the lead back after he went off and gained an advantage while defending against Hamilton in an earlier wheel-towheel clash.

“I didn’t get the information so I didn’t understand what was going on,” said the champion. “It was confusing. All of a sudden he started backing up and then kind of moving a little bit.

“I was like, ‘Is he trying to play some kind of crazy tactic?’

“Then all of a sudden the message started coming through just as he hit the brakes so hard and I nearly ... took us both out. It doesn’t matter for him if we both don’t finish. For me we both need to finish.”

Verstappen said he had been downshifting and braking for Hamilton to go past. “I was just looking in the mirror and waiting for him to pass. Maybe there was some confusion ... they told me on the radio ‘let him by’ so that is what I did.”