Furious Horner slams Hamilton’s ‘hollow victory’ after crash

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was left furious with Lewis Hamilton’s driving in the collision with Max Verstappen that left his driver in hospital after Hamilton went on to win the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton tried to pass Verstappen down the inside into Copse on the opening lap, with his left-front wheel hitting Verstappen’s right rear and sending the Red Bull into the barrier at high speed. The incident brought out the red flag for more than half an hour and the Dutchman has been taken to hospital for precautionary checks, and Horner says the subsequent 10-second time penalty assessed to Hamilton by the stewards was far too lenient for the collision.

“It shouldn’t be like that, to be honest with you,” Horner said. “Max has incurred a 51G accident. Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time world champion, he shouldn’t be making maneuvers like that. It’s unacceptable. Thank goodness the biggest result for us today is that he’s uninjured. He’s having to go to hospital for precautionary checks after a 51G accident. I hope Lewis is very happy with himself.

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“He stuck a wheel up the inside in a corner that you just know you don’t do that. You just don’t stick a wheel up the inside at Copse, in that corner, in that circumstance. He was nowhere near ahead, it was contact, left-front to right-rear. The speed that they’re traveling is one of the fastest corners in the championship. Lewis has got more than enough experience to know that that’s unacceptable.

"As I say, I am just very disappointed that a driver of his caliber should make such a move like that. It’s dangerous. It looked desperate. Thank goodness uninjured but he’s put a competitor in hospital getting himself checked out.

“I don’t care what Lewis said. Have a look at your own analysis, draw your own comparisons. For me, that’s a hollow victory.”

https://twitter.com/F1/status/1416796423195070472

Horner says a similar incident could have happened between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with three laps to go as the defending champion overtook Leclerc for the win at the same corner.

“I can’t see how Lewis can take any satisfaction from a win when he’s put his fellow driver in hospital. It’s disappointing, it’s extremely annoying. His actions have put in jeopardy another driver’s safety and for me that’s unacceptable. Lucky not to have the same crash with Leclerc -- if Leclerc hadn’t run wide and taken the line he’s entitled to, then the same incident would have prevailed.”

https://twitter.com/F1/status/1416816033550245891