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Lewis Hamilton sparked a row after liking an Instagram video of Max Verstappen's infamous brawl with Esteban Ocon in 2018. The incident took place in Brazil, where a collision with Ocon cost Verstappen a victory against Hamilton.
The 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix produced one of the most dramatic and fiery face-offs of recent F1 history. On lap 40, Verstappen had the lead over Hamilton and was gunning for a victory.
However, lapped Force India driver Esteban Ocon tried to unlap himself on lap 44. He went around the outside of Turn 1 and then held the line at Turn 2. Verstappen, meanwhile, got to Turn 2 expecting Ocon to back off, except the Force India driver didn't. The two collided, spun into the run-off area, and lost time.
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The incident forced Verstappen to finish P2, behind Lewis Hamilton, and Ocon was punished with a 10-second stop-and-go penalty.
Meanwhile, a video of the infamous incident was uploaded by a fan page on Instagram. Hamilton liked the post.
That being said, another big controversy followed after the incident. Max Verstappen stomped into the weighing area and pushed Esteban Ocon multiple times while having a go at him verbally. The scuffle was caught on camera, and the FIA punished Verstappen with two days of public service for his conduct.
This incident brought a lot of criticism for Verstappen, as he was called out for showing unnecessary aggression while hard racing. However, the Dutchman defended his actions, saying every driver is passionate about winning.
Years later, the can of worms has opened again, and Hamilton's like on the Instagram video has left the fans confused.
Lewis Hamilton penalized for impeding Max Verstappen in Monaco
Meanwhile, during the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Max Verstappen in the qualifying round. However, it seemed the seven-time world champion's race engineer, Ricciardo Adami, fed him inaccurate information.
Adami said that Verstappen was on a slow lap behind him, and hence Hamilton didn't move out of the way. However, the Red Bull driver was instead flying for a push lap and was forced to abort due to obstruction from Hamilton.
Despite the team's mistake, Lewis Hamilton faced the music. Regardless, during the race on Sunday, he recovered to finish P5 while Verstappen crossed the checkered flag at P4.
The Monaco Grand Prix was deemed a dull race by fans and drivers alike, as only a single legal overtake was recorded through 78 laps. A mandatory two-pit-stop rule also didn't work, as teams found a way to eliminate the loss of time in pits.
