Max Verstappen says that Sebastian Vettel offered his apologies to him straight away after the race regarding their lap 37 contact.
Vettel hit Verstappen on the rear heading into the penultimate corner, which sent them both into the gravel trap, but not out of the race.
"I spoke to him, he apologised immediately after he got out of the car, so that's it. You can't change your line," Verstappen said.
Vettel was forced to pit for a new front wing and was handed a 10-second time penalty along with two penalty points for causing the collision.
"I thought the inside was going to open up, it looked like he was pulling back to the middle of the track," Vettel said of the crash. "But it stayed closed, we crashed and it was my mistake."
Verstappen also enjoyed his fierce battle with the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, as the two young stars fought prior to the crash for the final spot on the podium.
The two fought wheel to wheel for a number of laps before they were split up by the safety car that came out following a spin for Antonio Giovinazzi.
"They were really good, I think he was a little bit sore from Austria so he was defending really hard," Verstappen said. "But it's fine, I'm all for that. Of course, I didn't want to take much risk in those battles to damage the car because I knew we were quite a bit faster.
"I needed to pick my moment but luckily the team did it for me with a good strategy and then it was looking good for a good result."
what a strange situation this is. anyone think he could be gone at the end of the year?
It's possible, but whom would they replace him with, and where'd he go to? I hear whispers of RBH talking to him, yet I wonder if he'd really be allowed in by Max, whom I'm pretty sure have decent say in what team mate he can accept just like Vettel and Hammy have in their respective teams. And whom would they replace him with? Hammy'd be mad to go to another team when he is all cozy in the best team on the grid.
Verstappen will take any team-mate they throw at him and eat him (or her) raw .... unlike some of the other top-team's current #1 drivers ;-)
30 laps fighting with Leclerc, no worries. 1 time with Vettel and it goes wrong. Vettel can’t stand the pressure any more and makers more and more misstakes.
The only team that will take Alonso back I think, is Renault.
I've heard the Alo->RB rumour, but I don't think it's likely. RB prefer their own drivers, Alonso just ain't their style, and Alo and Max would go along about as well as tazers and downstairs bits. Alo to Renault would be more likely, but Renault has already referred to this as unlikely, and they seem pleased with their lineup. That'd be unless Ricciardo moves back to Red Bull or something.
Kind of poetic justice for LeClerc and with Max. What goes around comes around and I'm guessing there will be more coming around for him with his current tally. It was a great race until those last laps where everyone just seemed to go into autopilot mode. Vettel probably has a performance clause which would allow him to get out like he did with Red Bull but where else would he go?
I think vettel is done. Time when watching the inferential over and over vettel seemed to have lost where he was on the track like he was at the end of a long straight.verstappen made a small mistake on the editor the prior letting vettel make some gains. I believe vettel is done. What I don’t get is you are in last year a lot why not park the car save the engine. Le clerc to mb and Bottas to Ferrari. I would not as a topdriver go to Ferrari
They can’t develop the car they make strategic errors. The Honda engine looks mighty good right now.
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
Kind of poetic justice for LeClerc and with Max. What goes around comes around and I'm guessing there will be more coming around for him with his current tally. It was a great race until those last laps where everyone just seemed to go into autopilot mode. Vettel probably has a performance clause... [Read more]