Mad Max fury Ocon clash costs Verstappen win
Emotion flows as Lee ends long wait
MAX VERSTAPPEN and Esteban Ocon were involved in an amazing bust-up as world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday.
Verstappen labelled Ocon a “f ****** idiot” and the pair almost came to blows after the Red Bull driver was robbed of a brilliant victory.
Dutchman Verstappen was in complete control after passing both Mercedes and Ferrari cars in a superb performance. But he was taken out of the lead when attempting to lap Force India’s Frenchman Ocon, and yelled his abuse over the radio.
After the race, Ocon said: “I was surprised by the behaviour of Max afterwards. He pushed and wanted to punch me. That’s not professional.”
Ocon, 22, running way down the order, raced wheel to wheel at 200mph with Verstappen before banging into the right-rear of his car. The force of the impact on lap 43 sent
SPORT IN BRIEF
Verstappen, 21, into a spin and Hamilton, who started on pole, sailed by to retake the lead, leaving the Dutchman to settle for second.
Ocon said: “I was behind Max for two laps and I was a lot faster. The rules say you are allowed to unlap yourself so that’s what I did.
“It was the same move I did on Fernando Alonso and on other drivers as I worked my way back up the field, but it didn’t work out the same way.”
Verstappen said: “He got a penalty and that tells you the stewards know who was in the wrong. The penalty for me is I lost the victory. Hopefully in 15 years we can laugh about it.”
Ocon was hit with a 10-second stop-and-go penalty, the most severe punishment available.
Kimi Raikkonen finished third for Ferrari, but it was not enough to stop Mercedes winning their fifth consecutive constructors’ title.
JENSON BUTTON has won the Super GT title in his rookie season after third place in Motegi yesterday. Not Classified: Fastest Lap: