In a dramatic twist at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Williams driver Alex Albon had a bird’s-eye view of the collision between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at Turn 1 on lap 63. The incident, which had race fans on the edge of their seats, saw both drivers fighting fiercely for third place.
As Hamilton and Verstappen approached the first turn, they had just lapped Albon, who could only watch as the two rivals battled for position. Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, made an audacious dive on the inside line, attempting to overtake Hamilton’s Mercedes. However, things quickly went awry when Verstappen locked up his brakes, claiming that Hamilton had moved under braking.
The resulting collision saw Verstappen’s left rear wheel ride over the front right of Hamilton’s car, launching the Red Bull into the air. Verstappen managed to regain control and continued racing across the asphalt runoff area at Turn 1. Meanwhile, Hamilton retained his third-place position, and Verstappen ultimately fell behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, finishing the race in fifth place.
Reflecting on the incident, Albon remarked, “Don’t be the creator of something that happens straight away! And as soon as it happened it was ‘okay, I hope I wasn’t to blame for that one.'” The Williams driver noted that he was surprised by how close the battle between Hamilton and Verstappen had become, stating, “I didn’t realize they’d be that close to each other, and didn’t realize it would be overtaking close!”
Albon provided further analysis of the dynamics involved, observing that both drivers were equally aggressive in their maneuvers. He explained, “Both aggressive: Max being aggressive on his move, and then at the same time, I do think there was an element of squeezing.” He concluded that the stewards made the right call by deeming it a racing incident, given the intense competition between the two. “I think the call in the end was the right one from the stewards. I think it was a racing incident. I mean, when they’re together, when is it not?”
The FIA stewards investigated the collision post-race but decided that no further action was required. While they acknowledged that Hamilton might have been able to do more to avoid the crash, they determined that neither driver was predominantly at fault.
The Hungarian Grand Prix incident between Verstappen and Hamilton highlighted the thin line between aggressive racing and overstepping boundaries. Both drivers pushed hard, making split-second decisions that led to the dramatic clash. In the end, it was deemed a racing incident, a testament to the high stakes and intense rivalries that define Formula 1.
