So the race started, and by the end turn 7 we had our first bit of controversy. Hamilton, again, got a blinder of a start, with Verstappen just not getting away well at all. And with Hamilton on the inside, he slipped into the lead quite easily.
Even though Verstappen’s start wasn’t great, his tyres were up to temperature quicker and he was looking quick in the first few corners. He got a great run out of the turn 4 hairpin and was in Hamilton’s slipstream.
By the end of the straight Verstappen was two or three car lengths behind the Hamilton at the braking zone - he didn’t look like he was in a position to try and make a move - and yet he did. But before we get into whether what happened was fair or not, it’s worth talking about Verstappen’s “jink and dive” technique - that’s not actually what people call it, it’s what’s going on. I think I’ll coin that one.
It’s where Verstappen - and other drivers - turn the car sharply just before a braking zone - and then brake. They then drive in a diagonal line down to the apex of the corner. It’s not the quickest racing line, but it’s great for overtaking because you can brake late and the diagonal route to the apex is shorter than the normal racing line - increasing the opportunity for an overtake.
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Ok, so Verstappen lunges Hamilton, but gets ahead by the apex. Lewis tries to turn in, but Max is already there. The two make very slight contact. Verstappen keeps it in the track, and Hamilton skirts across the runoff, keeping his position.
So let’s look at it from the perspective of each driver. First, Verstappen. He was on the softer tyre compared to Hamilton - on which he was supposed to get a better start and gap him over the first 15 laps. So, after the bad start, he needed to make a move quickly.
Verstappen’s championship position also meant he could be bolder with his wheel-tp-wheel racing. Plus, it’s Verstappen, who as we know absolutely sends it with any opportunity. There’s no doubt this was an aggressive move, but this time - as opposed to some of the other incidents we’ve seen this year, Verstappen managed to keep it on the track - within the white lines.
So, in my opinion, Verstappen make an aggressive move, but one that was completely legal. He did force Lewis of the track, but Lewis was on the outside and could have yielded earlier.
The way I like to think about racing is that as long as one driver doesn’t t-bone [add funny image] another, aggressive racing is ok. Maybe it’s because of my racing background, but I like aggressive racing and I accept it when someone does it to me.
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