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Former British F1 driver David Coulthard believes confusion is to blame for the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last week.
Speaking to the F1 Nation podcast, he likened the collision between Lewis Hamilton and his title rival Max Verstappen to when Michael Schumacher ran into his McLaren at a rain-marred Spa-Francorchamps circuit in 1998, saying:
"Given my experience, when Michael (Schumacher) ran into the back of me in Spa, where I was told I had to let Michael past. I slowed down to allow Michael to pass and he ran into the back of me. So, there was a lot of criticism of me at that time. Did I brake test him? Did I do something to try and help Mika (Hakkinen) in the championship? No. I followed the instructions of the team, which was 'let him pass'."
Hamilton and Verstappen came together on lap 38 as a result of confusion and miscommunication between drivers and race engineers of both Mercedes and Red Bull.
Coulthard initially reacted to the incident, saying:
"Max (Verstappen) has been told to let Lewis (Hamilton) pass. He slowed down strategically in a place... and it actually looks like Lewis is slowing down and there is no contact initially and then he is a little bit uncertain. I think he probably got confused as to whether there was a Virtual Safety Car and of course you can't look at your cockpit or dash to get that information."
David Coulthard in awe of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's racecraft
Coulthard was also full of praise for both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, claiming one would be hard-pressed to pick a deserving winner between the two title contenders.
He was in awe of Verstappen's bold lunge on the inside of Hamilton and Esteban Ocon at the second restart, calling the move 'brilliant'.
'Remarkable' was how he described reigning world champion Hamilton, who showed his mastery to win even with a somewhat damaged car.
As the final race in Abu Dhabi approaches, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are level on points, while Mercedes leads Red Bull in the constructors' standings. Come Sunday, watch the action unfold at the Yas Marina circuit.
