Pot calling the kettle black
FURY: WITH HIS BLEMISHED RECORD AND ALL, VERSTAPPEN READS LECLERC THE RIOT ACT
‘He just drove into my car. I don’t think I could’ve done anything different’.
The 17th round of the 2019 Formula One season proved to be dramatic for several reasons, particularly the onset of Typhoon Hagibis and the subsequent cancellation of all Saturday activity at the Suzuka circuit.
With free practice three dropped, qualifying moved to Sunday morning and was followed by the eventful race.
Everything ran seamlessly, resulting in many wondering whether a two-day event might be the answer to the extended F1 calendar.
Drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo and Romain Grosjean believe it is a format that pleases everyone.
I am not so sure the circuit owners would agree, as the removal of one day could result in a significant loss of income due to reduced ticket sales, but it certainly poses an interesting possibility.
On Sunday afternoon it all went horribly wrong for Ferrari which had dominated qualifying with Sebastian Vettel on pole and fellow Maranello man, Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row. Mercedes and Red Bull filled the next two rows.
A poor start from Vettel left the way open for Valtteri Bottas to grab the lead, but the action behind led to chaos.
Leclerc attempted to hold his third spot as they entered turn one and two, but Max Verstappen was trying to pass him on an outside line.
It was tears all round as the Monegasque lost front grip and slid into the Red Bull which ultimately led to Verstappen’s retirement.
It was amusing to hear Verstappen’s comments during an interview with Sky Sports when he said. “Charles just drove into the side of my car. I don’t think I could have done anything different there.”
He continued: “We all know that you lose downforce behind a car so that is not an excuse – he’s experienced enough to know that.
“For me, the weird thing is that initially they did not investigate it, though my whole car was destroyed, with holes in the side.
“Now they have started to investigate it, but it is after the race. What more should he do to get a penalty?
“This was not hard racing, just irresponsible driving.”
That is quite a statement from the young man who in 2015 at the Monaco race shunted the Lotus of Romain Grosjean at high speed, ultimately ending with his Toro Rosso in the barrier and then accusing the Frenchman of brake testing him.
Felipe Massa called him “dangerous”.
Still with Toro Rosso in 2016 at the Australian season opener he became frustrated when he could not pass team-mate Carlos Sainz and clipped Sainz’s car.
In the same year, this time in Belgium, he hit the side of Vettel’s Ferrari and then went on to balk Vettel’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen’s every attempt to overtake him by moving under braking.
The Finn suggested Verstappen was “going to cause a huge crash sooner or later”.
Race director, the late Charlie Whiting, had words with Verstappen about his aggressive driving and a new regulation to prevent such moves was added to the FIA rulebook.
Later, in Mexico, he outbraked himself in front of Vettel, went off the circuit and then illegally regained the track ahead of the German, who complained over the radio that Verstappen had to give the position back.
The young driver ignored that, continued to block the Ferrari, and then accused Vettel of “shouting like a child” on the radio.
In 2017, he retired three times due to first lap collisions in Spain, Austria and Singapore.
And let us not forget Hungary where he punted Daniel Ricciardo off the track. His team-mate was not amused.
It was Vettel again in 2018 when the Red Bull driver T-boned the Ferrari in a tight hairpin during the Chinese Grand Prix, the German losing position and dropping to eighth place.
Do not get me wrong – I am a great admirer of Verstappen who has definitely matured recently, but it tickled me how he has forgotten all the incidents in which he was the main instigator.
So perhaps we should forget the moaning and just continue to witness great, hard racing.
There is a lot of young talent out there and we do not want them turning into amateur lawyers, fighting for position in front of the officials rather than on the tarmac.
For his sins last Sunday Leclerc received two time penalties and the team a €25 000 fine for the incident.
With Mercedes having claimed a sixth consecutive Constructors’ championship last weekend, equalling Ferrari’s record, it is now down to the Mexican event where Hamilton is likely to take the Drivers’ title and create a new record for six consecutive championships wins in both categories.
For his sins last Sunday Leclerc received two time penalties and the team a €25 000 fine.