Verstappen: My reaction after Brazil could have been much worse

We thought the hatchet was buried between Max Verstappen et Esteban Ocon, on the strength of a timid handshake in the Brazilian paddock. Visibly the handle still protrudes, ready to be grasped vigorously by the Dutchman.

Reminder of the facts: the crack of Milton Keynes seemed to be sailing towards a third success of the season when he was the victim of a collision with the Frenchman's Force India who was trying to get back into the leader's lap. 

Finally second under the checkerboard, the Batavian, furious, went to seek an explanation from the Norman at the weigh-in. The exchange of words quickly got out of hand at the start of the altercation, with Verstappen pushing Ocon several times. These actions also earned him two days of community service with the FIA, a sanction that the person concerned considers unjustified. 

Asked ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix whether he regretted his action, Verstappen was true to himself in his response.

« Not really because I wanted an apology and I had a quite different reaction, he said. We are all sensitive and I had just lost a win. Personally, I found myself really calm. My reaction could have been much worse ». 

Taking on his defiant demeanor that he takes out almost every weekend, the Flying Dutchman added: “ What did you expect ? Let me shake his hand and say: ‘Thank you so much for letting me finish second instead of winning’? I think I had a normal reaction.

You people don't know what was said at the weigh-in, you just saw me pushing him. If you knew the content of the conversation, you would see things in a different light. He told me something I didn't expect. It doesn't matter what it was. In the end, it just really pissed me off. ».

The Red Bull driver claimed in the days following the Brazilian Grand Prix that Ocon had provoked him by taunting him. Present at a press conference at the same time as Verstappen, the Frenchman calmed things down by acknowledging his faults in the incident on the track and then the post-race skirmish.

« Of course, it's not ideal to hang with the leader, declared the Norman. I'm sorry about Max. It was his victory, he had done a fantastic job throughout. We must move forward, we cannot change the past ».