Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen had an infamous coming together on lap one of the 2021 British Grand Prix. After making contact with the #44 driver at Copse, Verstappen was flung into the barriers, resulting in him suffering a massive 51G impact. Former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey admits that he was livid with Hamilton after the incident.
Three years later, the 65-year-old has changed his opinion on the crash. Newey dropped an appearance on the High-Performance Podcast recently, explaining how, in hindsight, he understands that Hamilton’s actions were not deliberate. He now believes that the incident had more to do with Hamilton misjudging the move than any malice on his part.
“At the time, I was absolutely incandescent with Lewis. Now, with the benefit of hindsight – they’d been banging wheels all around the lap up to that corner. Lewis went for an opportunity that he thought was there and misjudged it and what happened, happened. I was too harsh on Lewis at that time.”
As Newey explained, the entire 2021 season turned into a bitter rivalry between Red Bull’s Verstappen and Mercedes’ Hamilton. He admits the same could have also clouded his judgment.
Even after the season ended, Newey still held Hamilton accountable for the incident at Silverstone. Formula1.com had quoted him as saying, “[It] personally really grinds with me what happened there.”
After the incident, the stewards deemed Hamilton to be at fault. The seven-time world champion had tried a move down the inside of the Dutchman at Copse but at the apex, his left front tire made contact with Verstappen‘s right rear.
