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Max Verstappen shared his thoughts after Lewis Hamilton was penalized for an impeding incident during the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying. The British driver had forced Verstappen to abort a push lap during the session.
The incident occurred in Q1 when the Dutch driver, who was on a flying lap and moving up the hill towards Massenet, was forced to abort his lap following the impeding by the Scuderia Ferrari driver. Hamilton was subsequently handed a three-place grid penalty for the incident.
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However, despite Max Verstappen’s frustration — which was evident from his radio message — the Red Bull Racing star showed support for Lewis Hamilton following the incident. Sharing his thoughts with the media, as captured on X (formerly Twitter) by user @fiagirly, the four-time Drivers’ Champion stated:
“I saw it immediately that the team told him I was on a slow lap when I was on a fast lap. It’s not Lewis’ fault. I already spoke to him about it. It’s the team’s mistake.”
Lewis Hamilton, who had just completed a flying lap, appeared largely to have been a victim of a pit wall communication error. Nonetheless, the race stewards upheld the penalty, which drops the 40-year-old to seventh place, with Max Verstappen — the first beneficiary of the verdict — moving up to fourth.
Max Verstappen reacts after Monaco GP qualifying
Max Verstappen also shared his thoughts on the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session. Despite his impressive run during free practice, the Red Bull Racing star could only finish fifth in qualifying.
The 27-year-old, fresh off his victory at the previous Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, subsequently detailed his reaction following the event. Sharing a series of photos on his X account, the Red Bull driver posted the caption:
“Bit of a challenge with the grip today, but we keep pushing @redbullracing 💪”
Max Verstappen, who is set to start the race in fourth place following Lewis Hamilton’s penalty, will now aim to claw up the grid with the possibility of recording another win at the Monte Carlo race. The four-time drivers’ champion previously clinched victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2021 and 2023.
On the other hand, while Verstappen struggled with tire grip during the qualifying session, other drivers including the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as well as hometown hero Charles Leclerc, appeared to be dialed in throughout the session. Norris clinched pole position ahead of Leclerc, with Piastri clocking the third fastest lap during the session.
Of the front four runners on the Monaco Grand Prix grid, only Verstappen and Leclerc have tasted race victory at the circuit famous for its unforgiving barriers. Whether the 2025 edition will deliver a new race winner remains to be seen.
