Verstappen: Running wide in Hamilton Brazil F1 battle was the “safer” option

Max Verstappen has explained why he ran wide during his controversial battle with Formula 1 title rival Lewis Hamilton at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing in the post race FIA Press Conference.
Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing in the post race FIA Press Conference.
© FIA Pool Image for Editorial Use

Verstappen and Hamilton wentꦦ 🐟head-to-head yet again for the victory on track at Interlagos.

On Lap 48, Hamilton attempted to go around the ou꧒tside of the Red Bull driver into Turn 4, with Verstappen running the seven-time champion wi꧂de as the pair ran off the track completely.

Verstappen remai💧ned ahead with his aggressive defence noted by the stewards, but it wasn’t investigated.

Toto Wolff sa💞id it was 💞“laughable” Verstappen wasn’t penalised, while Christian Horner felt that the stewards were “fair”.

Exp♛laining why he had to run wide at Turn 4, Verstappen said: “We both of course, tried to be ahead into the corner, and so I braked a bit later to try and keep the position and the tyres were already a bit worn.

“So I was really on the edge of grip, so that’s why I think I was already notꦛ fully on the apex. And it’s a safer way, of just running a bit wide there. In a way I was, of course, happy that the stewards decided💖 that we could just keep on racing, because I think the racing in general was really good today.”

Verstappen couldn’t resist Hamilton several laps later, reliไnquishing the lead into ✤Turn 4.

“Yeah I knew when 💯we went through Turn 3 that he was going to get ahead because he was super close,” Verstappen explained.

“Alreadyꦬ two ꦫtimes before that I was really starting to struggle on traction and tyres so I knew it was going to be really tricky, but you never know, I just tried to do the best I could. Once he got by, I was hanging on with the tyres at the end.”

Even though Verstappen missed o🐠ut on his second career victory in Brazil, he still enjoyed 🃏the battle with his main title rival.

“Yeah like I said, of course I like to win, but you can enjoy the battle right? I was𒁃 a bit of a sitting duck, but in a way I just tried to do the best I could and in a way, that’s fun and nic♎e for everyone watching,” he added.

 

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