© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
In his 2021 mid-season review F1 journalist Edd Straw says Lewis Hamilton made “a point” to Max Verstappen at the British Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided at the British Grand Prix, which left Max in the barrier and out of the race, and Lewis with a ten-second penalty and two penalty points on his superlicence.
However, in his column for Racer, F1 journalist Edd Straw said he believes there is far more significance in that moment than just the controversy that came out of it.
“Then came the moment that transformed the title fight — Copse Corner, British Grand Prix, lap one,” wrote Straw.
“This is a significant moment not only for the championship impact, but because of how it has changed the dynamic between the two.
“Hamilton knew his only hope of defeating Verstappen at Silverstone was to finish the first lap ahead, and been cautious on occasion earlier in the season — notably at Imola and Barcelona — he went for it.
“Verstappen attempted to cover the inside, didn’t do so quite enough and then tried to tough it out around the outside line.
“Verstappen was furious at the outcome, but Hamilton, privately, will have felt it was a point well made, even though the stewards held him responsible.
“When the story of the 2021 world championship battle is finally told, rather than the in-progress, half-finished version we know today, we will understand the true significance of that moment.
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“Verstappen has rightly been lauded for his aggressive (he calls it hard racing rather than aggressive, but they amount to the same thing — and there’s nothing wrong with that) passes, but how he would react to being on the receiving end was an interesting question.
“While the accident was certainly far more Hamilton’s fault than Verstappen’s, he did have the option to back out and bank the points to consolidate his position.
“Sometimes, a champion has to make that choice, because feeling you were in the right doesn’t help your points balance or repair your car.”
Ultimately, Straw refrains from making any predictions for the rest of the season.
“But who will prevail? It’s impossible to say.
“It’s probably a question that both Verstappen and Hamilton ask themselves about the moment that is likely to come where they are very much playing the opponent rather than the situation.
“That’s what a great world championship battle is all about, and given both are superb drivers it should be a spectacular sight.
“They will test each other again, dare each other to back down when the stakes are at their highest, and it will be spectacular to watch,” concluded Straw.
