Hamilton and Verstappen blame each other

Lewis Hamilton had to settle for third place at the Bahrain GP after starting from ninth position due to a gearbox change penalty.

However, the bill could have been much heavier for the pilot Mercedes since he stuck with Max Verstappen when the latter tried to overtake him at the first turn. If the W09 emerged unscathed from the collision, the RB14 suffered a puncture, ultimately forcing the Dutchman to retire.

“It was an unnecessary collision, commented Lewis Hamilton. There must be a certain respect between the drivers. I need to see the footage again, but it doesn't seem like a respectful move to me. It was an unfortunate attempt for him as he didn't finish the race and he obviously tends to make a few mistakes lately. »

For his part, Max Verstappen assured that he had left enough space for the four-time world champion.

“There was enough space on the left, but he hit me on the back wheel and it destroyed my differential.”, explained the Dutchman who had to give up a few moments after his teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

Discover the analysis of the Bahrain Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2160 of AUTOhebdo available from tomorrow evening in digital version and from this Wednesday on newsstands.