MAXVERSTAPPEN V ESTEBAN OCON

When racing drivers attack one another off-track, not only is it professionally unseemly, it just looks stupid – especially if they’re both wearing crash helmets, in which case they tend to slap at one another ineffectually like two cats playing pattercake. Even without helmets, driver-on-driver brawls often go no further than a bit of pushing and shoving. And that’s just plain disappointing.

The facts of the Max Verstappen versus Esteban Ocon case are that shortly after Verstappen took the lead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Ocon, who was running outside the top 10 but had just made a pitstop, came up fast behind him. Ocon’s Force India pitwall told him that he should unlap himself if he had the speed, and this is what he was trying to do when they collided.

Ocon tried to go around the outside into Turn 1, Verstappen needlessly – perhaps even churlishly – made it difficult, so as they proceeded towards the right-hand portion of the Senna Esses Ocon tried to claim what was the inside line. Verstappen turned in as if he’d forgotten his adversary was there. The stewards decided to ping Ocon, and he was, by the letter of the law, “wholly or predominantly to blame”.

Afterwards they had that rather disappointing shoving contest in the FIA garage. Really, Max, if you’re not going to throw a punch then learn to turn the other cheek…