Hungarian Grand Prix Drama: Verstappen vs Hamilton at Turn 4
Racing weekends don’t get much tougher for champions than what Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton endured in Hungary this year. Both drivers were nowhere near the podium, but that didn’t stop headlines from boiling over after a spicy on-track moment between them sparked a post-race investigation by the FIA stewards.
The incident unfolded just past halfway in the race, right at Turn 4. Verstappen, desperate to make up ground in the midfield shuffle, dived up the inside of Hamilton’s Ferrari. It looked clean—at least at first glance—because the Red Bull never actually touched the Ferrari. Still, as Verstappen squeezed through, Hamilton ended up leaving the track suddenly, running wide on the outside. For a moment, it looked like classic wheel-to-wheel racing, but stewards wanted a closer look at whether Verstappen had forced Hamilton off.
The review was a little odd for one major reason: Hamilton himself skipped the meeting. He simply didn’t show up, with a rep for Ferrari telling officials that Lewis just “chose not to attempt to remain on track.” That wasn’t exactly a detailed defense, but given that Verstappen was judged not to have his front axle level with Hamilton’s mirror at the crucial moment—something F1 rules say gives you no right to demand racing room—some expected trouble for Max.
FIA’s Decision and Drivers’ Take on the Incident
Surprisingly, after sifting through the footage and gathering what little testimony there was, the stewards decided Verstappen wouldn’t face any penalty. The main reasons? There was zero physical contact, and Ferrari made no effort to claim Verstappen’s move was reckless. In fact, the subtle message seemed to be: Hamilton could have stayed on track but maybe panicked when he saw Max appear at his side.
Verstappen couldn’t hide his frustration with the whole process, saying, “It’s disappointing I have to go to the stewards again. Just analyze it during the race. Why do we have to drag it out?” He made it clear he felt Hamilton’s sudden trip off the circuit stemmed more from being surprised than being forced out by dirty tactics.
For Hamilton, the weekend was one to forget either way. He finished a downbeat 12th after rough qualifying and car troubles, while Verstappen could only rally for ninth. Both are used to fighting at the front, not scrapping for scraps in the midfield, which only added to the frustration when their already sour races got dragged into the stewards' room afterward.
One interesting sideline? Verstappen felt Hamilton’s absence from the inquiry was a silent nod that there wasn’t really a case to answer. No driver, no protest, no penalty. Even in Formula 1, sometimes actions—or lack thereof—speak louder than words.
The Hungarian GP left both champions with no trophies and extra headaches, but at least Verstappen walked away with his reputation intact after another weekend of bizarre race control drama and midfield struggles.
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