Martin Brundle expressed surprise after Max Verstappen accused Lewis Hamilton of moving under braking during their Hungarian Grand Prix battle, with the former Formula 1 driver unconvinced that the Ferrari driver had done anything wrong.
Max Verstappen launched a late move down the inside of Lewis Hamilton at Turn 1 after switching to the hard tyres. Although the Red Bull driver completed the pass without contact, he immediately questioned his rival’s defensive driving over team radio.
Max Verstappen questions Lewis Hamilton’s Turn 1 defence
Lewis Hamilton appeared not to anticipate the attack as Max Verstappen committed to an aggressive move under braking. The two drivers continued towards the apex together, but enough space remained for the Red Bull to complete the overtake safely.
Max Verstappen nevertheless believed Lewis Hamilton had changed direction while braking. Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase described the move as particularly unusual, prompting the Dutchman to explain that he did not want to complain but felt Lewis Hamilton had once again moved under braking. Max Verstappen acknowledged that it had produced entertaining racing, although he maintained that the Ferrari driver’s actions were not correct.
The incident added another chapter to a rivalry that has featured several close battles and collisions. However, there was no contact on this occasion and the stewards did not intervene.
Martin Brundle surprised by Max Verstappen complaint
David Croft questioned Max Verstappen’s interpretation during Sky Sports F1’s live coverage. The commentator considered Lewis Hamilton’s defence fair and did not initially see a significant problem with the Ferrari driver’s movement.
Martin Brundle wanted another view of the incident before reaching a definitive conclusion, but admitted that Max Verstappen’s complaint had surprised him. He was not convinced Lewis Hamilton had even realised the Red Bull was arriving because Max Verstappen had committed to such an audacious move from a long way back under braking.
Martin Brundle also noted that both drivers were already moving towards the apex, avoided contact and left sufficient racing room. On that basis, he did not expect the stewards to investigate the incident.
David Croft suggested there may have been a subtle early turn from Lewis Hamilton and compared the location with previous clashes between the two drivers. Even so, he felt Max Verstappen had little reason to continue complaining after successfully completing the pass and moving ahead.
Verstappen finishes second as Hamilton takes fifth
Max Verstappen believed Lewis Hamilton had not been paying attention when the Red Bull arrived at Turn 1. Despite also raising concerns about his gearshifts and traffic during the race, Max Verstappen retained second place behind McLaren driver Lando Norris.
Lando Norris secured victory in Budapest, with Max Verstappen finishing as runner-up. Lewis Hamilton crossed the line fifth after receiving a five-second penalty for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit, a sanction imposed after he was recorded just 0.1 km/h above the permitted speed.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had expected Lewis Hamilton to win the Hungarian Grand Prix, but Ferrari was unable to convert its promising package into victory or a podium finish. Charles Leclerc ultimately finished fourth, leaving the two Ferrari drivers directly alongside one another in the final Hungarian GP classification.
The outcome represented a disappointing conclusion to a weekend in which Ferrari had initially appeared capable of challenging at the front. The Scuderia’s race was shaped by mistakes, strategic decisions and penalties, with the late drama leaving both Ferrari cars outside the podium.
Lewis Hamilton consequently entered the summer break 50 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, left Budapest with second place secured despite his dissatisfaction with how the Turn 1 battle unfolded.
Leave a Reply