Max Verstappen has been told to perform two days of public service for making physical contact with Esteban Ocon.
The Red Bull driver was investigated under article 12.1.1.c) of the FIA International Sporting Code which prohibits “acts prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally.”Stewards’ verdict
The stewards reviewed video evidence from the FIA’s CCTV Cameras and heard from the driver of car 33 (Max Verstappen), the driver of car 31 (Esteban Ocon) and the team representatives.
The driver, Max Verstappen entered the FIA Weigh Bridge Garage, proceeded directly to driver Esteban Ocon and following a few words, started an altercation, pushing or hitting Ocon forcefully several times in the chest.
The stewards held a hearing, in which both drivers acted appropriately and cooperated with the Stewards. The Stewards understood from Max Verstappen that he was extremely upset by the incident on track during the race and accepted his explanation that it was not his original intent to strike Ocon, but that he was “triggered” and caused him to lose his temper.
While sympathetic to Verstappen’s passion, the Stewards determined that it is the obligation of sportsmen at this level to act appropriately and as role models to other drivers at all levels and found that Verstappen failed in this respect. The Stewards therefore ordered that Max Verstappen is required to perform two (2) days of public service at the direction of the FIA within six months of the incident. (Penalty under Art. 12.3.1.c of the FIA International Sporting Code.)
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hahostolze (@hahostolze)
11th November 2018, 21:27
Excellent stewarding. Here’s hoping it has some effect.
Also, it does imply that Ocon was entirely unapologetic at the weighbridge. Call me crazy, but I understand Verstappen’s response.
David BR (@david-br)
11th November 2018, 21:41
@hahostolze Ocon had no reason to apologize. Verstappen left him no room. Just as I like Verstappen because he wants to race, I can’t find fault in Ocon for wanting to unlap himself (which is allowed). He threw the race away by being impatient, incautious and presumptious, expecting Ocon to just back down.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
11th November 2018, 21:47
@david-br This is just wrong. The right to unlap in F1 is entirely different from the right to overtake. An unlapping car should always take into account the fact that his position is less important than the car he is overtaking. That’s inherent to lapping cars. Unfortunately racetracks aren’t long enough to negate this issue. Ocon had every right, but had absolutely no right to take risks. The moment he took a risk to overtake someone where the situation was not clear cut enough for it to be an easy overtake, Ocon immediately becomes the culprit. Verstappen has every right to expect Ocon not to finish this move. Hamilton was alluding to the exact thing. The only thing you can fault Verstappen for is not seeing that Ocon was doing something unusual and letting him by. He should have, but that doesn’t suddenly disculpate Ocon from doing something crazy.
David BR (@david-br)
11th November 2018, 21:53
I disagree because I don’t really think Ocon had that much time between realizing his attempt to unlap hadn’t worked and backing down – by the completion of the first corner they’re already into the second. Yes had Ocon been more passive he might have done. But the very fact he wanted to get past Verstappen means he’s in racing mode. Had he continued for another corner or so, I’d agree. I’m also all out of sympathy for Max when other drivers – like Hamilton – are ultra wary of trying to pass him as he makes it abundantly clear that he has nothing to lose and they everything. Today he found himself in the reverse situation and took no heed. I think he needed that lesson.
Johnny Five
11th November 2018, 22:00
The most sensible thing I’ve heard anyone say about this whole incident so far. Well said David BR.
The Skeptic
11th November 2018, 22:02
+1
Martijn (@)
11th November 2018, 22:07
You are referring to overtaking. This was unlapping. Totally different. You can never impede the race leader in an unlapping situation
erikje
11th November 2018, 23:09
You arguments are correct if they were fighting for position. They were not. Ocon always should take evasive action when it concerns the cars in competition. And certainly the race leader!
mystic one (@mysticus)
11th November 2018, 23:41
@david-br
+1
“he makes it abundantly clear that he has nothing to lose and they everything.”
not only he said it himself sometime ago, he just met the karma of his own words!
to those who cant see the irony… if there is a gap and you dont go for it, you may just as well sit at home and watch soap opera!
i cant believe stewards blamed ocon for this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2G2eA-QmVg
similar situation, bottas in place of ocon, trying to unlap himself put his car along side ham in braking zone, and crash happens, and ham received the penalty…
even though not exact same copy, max did this himself, he just turned into the car next to him! just plain stupid decision! he calls everyone stupid, yet he is the only clever person left in track? with pushing and showing? he bloody did crash and mess wdc races when he wasnt involved in the contention!
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
12th November 2018, 1:51
That’s a great comment @david-br!
BMF66
12th November 2018, 2:25
Johnny Five, named so as your IQ is 5.
Racefan
12th November 2018, 6:25
Flawed argument – comparing verstappen racing for position with 13th ocon 70 seconds behind racing for mercedes.
Fudge Kobayashi (@)
12th November 2018, 10:53
+1 very well said.
DaveW (@dmw)
11th November 2018, 22:04
I have to disagree with the “less important” thing. That’s not in the rules. And the relative importance is fact-specific. The unlapping car may being trying to hurry up to keep a pursuer out of his pit window so he or she doesn’t lose a spot on that particular lap. Is that inherently less important than a car running away with the win losing .5s? Since this premise doesn’t generate a rule, it also doesn’t generate a corollary that the unlapper should expect to have the door closed when unlapping.
bobec
11th November 2018, 23:09
@david-br Come on, this isn’t right. It’s one thing to unlap yourself cleanly. It’s another to contest a corner when a lap behind, arguably a corner he had already lost to Verstappen. And I like(ed?) Ocon.
David BR (@david-br)
11th November 2018, 23:37
Well you’ve made my point! Arguably he had lost it, but also arguably not. There are two issues. One when Ocon should have ceded the position, and the other whether Verstappen made the right racing decision in cutting across the second corner. The answer to the latter is a no-brainer surely. He should have given Ocon room rather than risk a collision. As for Ocon, I really don’t know, I think he was reasonably entitled to space for the second corner as it’s so soon after the first. After that, no. I mean, if the stewards think he was allowed to make the pass to unlap himself on the straight and around the first corner, at what exact point was that supposed to change when the two corners flow into each other? The fact they took so long to decide suggests they weren’t clear either.
Racefan
12th November 2018, 6:29
Flawed argunent – when ocon hit verstappen ocon was a lapped car.
phpguy
12th November 2018, 6:53
There is no losing a corner in a situation like this. Unlapping yourself is not an overtaking move. The corner always belongs to the car on the lap ahead. If you are fast enough to unlap yourself, do it on a straight where there is zero room for complications of any kind.
JI
12th November 2018, 10:39
You sure know that whoever gets the first corner is entitled to the 2nd one? Verstappen was half a car length in front. Ocon lacks racecraft and a brain
bobec
12th November 2018, 11:10
@david-br Ocon didn’t have the right to drive as if he were fighting for position, which is what he did.
A little example from the good old days:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPe0t02dWF4
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@arnoudvanhouwelingen)
11th November 2018, 23:18
David Br … totally disagree with you .. Max was clearly in front of Ocon at that corner (not even considering the fact that he was the race leader and Ocon was lapped) and he should have backed off at that instance. Also i wonder that unlapping yourself is such a smart move. Max was saving his tyres but clearly he would have overtaken Ocon again which means more blue flags for Ocon again .. so in the end i think it would have hurt his laptimes anyway!
mystic one (@mysticus)
11th November 2018, 23:51
@arnoudvanhouwelingen totally disagree with you too… MAX was not CLEARLY AHEAD! He did a max move and outbraked himself into the corner. ocon was ahead before the corner, but for the sake of not crashing he took it wide, but they were clearly along side! just before next bend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUd5a5IxTXg
there was another issue as well before the end of the straight! max did another one of his silly moves… ocon was clearly overtaking him, max went left and then at the braking zone, tried to move right (while ocon next to him) to push ocon wider! that is another one of verstappen’s stupid signature moves! he was slower than ocon, yet he didnt wanna give up the corner at the cost of the win… this boy if he doesnt learn, he will be made example of by dont know some fellow drivers? or he will get himself kicked out of racing…
Only unfair punishment was ocon’s penalty… Verstappen deserved much worse but let off with a slap on the wrist again…
racefan
12th November 2018, 8:29
He who is lying willfully, can wilfully prove anything, as you so ‘eloquently’ point out.
gDog (@gdog)
12th November 2018, 11:09
Watch the clip posted by @mysticus.
Watch it with open eyes (and emotion) and forget that the cars are on different laps.
Moments before contact car 31 is on the inside of the corner 3/4 alongside car 33.
Now tell me where the responsibility for the contact lies?
Now tell me where in the rules it states what lap cars are on dictates how much space they need…
Manuel Falcao (@mfalcao)
12th November 2018, 9:45
This, the thing is Ocon is one of the most loved racers on the grid and max one of the most polarized, you rather love him or hate him.
I’m neither a Ocon fan nor Max fan and my take on it is its completely on Ocon, max was saving his tires, Ocon had nothing to fight for in a terrible race he was having, risking taking out the race leader just to get unlaped?
We all now they are racers, but this time Ocon got it wrong.
Imagine if this was a Sirotkin a Erickson or even worst Grosjean or Perez, everyone and there dog wold be saying they should be kicked out of f1 immediately.
ColdFly (@)
11th November 2018, 23:48
Any great driver would do anything to unlap himself.
But you must be utterly stupid if you drive into the guy who is 1 lap ahead; especially when he is in the lead.
@david-br
mystic one (@mysticus)
12th November 2018, 0:02
@coldfly
This is also true!
Any great driver would do anything to unlap himself. But you must be utterly stupid if you drive into the guy who is 1 lap behind!
Like he keeps mocking others to be careful around him while overtaking… They asked Alonso for comment on Verstappen. You guessed the answer “Karma!” :)
David BR (@david-br)
12th November 2018, 1:28
@mysticus Exactly! Advice to Max: treat everyone you meet on track as though they might be a reincarnation of Max Verstappen.
ColdFly (@)
12th November 2018, 8:56
@mysticu, @david-br
Don’t take it from me; listen to Mr Whiting:
“He’s absolutely allowed to un-lap himself. That’s clear. It’s happened many times in the past.”
“Of course you would expect it to be done safely. But more to the point it should be done cleanly and absolutely without fighting. He shouldn’t be fighting to get past.”
But you probably disagree with him as well :P
ColdFly (@)
12th November 2018, 8:57
@mysticus
David BR (@david-br)
12th November 2018, 9:12
@coldfly Actually, yes, I do disagree :P
Ocon was driving cleanly, that’s unarguable, he maintained his line round the corner and left space. So that leaves ‘shouldn’t be fighting to get past’.
I think the bit everyone is missing is that Max decided to fight for the place. Ocon had been stuck behind Verstappen on faster tyres, while MV was tyre saving. So the team told him he could and should unlap himself to take advtantage of the fresh tyres. So he tried to. At that point Verstappen, with power and tyres in reserve, decides to race Ocon going into turn one. Fine too, he can race whenever he likes. But that then means that the move Ocon had made to unlap himself turned into a fight for position. Do you get my point? By the time they’re out of the first corner, MV is slightly up, but they’re already into the second corner. Here my view coincides with Hamilton – directly behind both and a 5 x champion, unlike Whiting. He obviously thought Max had to give space and finally overtake at a safe point.
ColdFly (@)
12th November 2018, 9:52
Also the guy who massively gained by this incident (personally and for his team) :P
David BR (@david-br)
12th November 2018, 11:01
@coldfly Hence my surprise that Hamilton wanted to give MV any advice! Just let him carry on his own (incident-filled) path…
kpcart
12th November 2018, 11:29
If max was saving tires And had a lot to lose, then by your logic don’t you think he should have just let Ocon go instead of cutting him at the apex when he knew he was there?
Racefan
12th November 2018, 6:23
Ocon should have apologized. Only sports and max haters would disagree with that.
13 placed Mercedes driver with Mercedes engine drives race leader of the track whilst lapping about 1.5 seconds slower on average and 70 seconds behind at that point, and presents a mercedes driver with a mercedes engine in the mercedes team ‘victory’.
Hamilton told us what happened. No words like that sucks or i dont like to win like this…he explained the ‘legality’ of Ocon’s failed attempt to unlap.
Robbie (@robbie)
12th November 2018, 9:08
Ocon was the one penalized. That says it all. Ocon may have had a right to unlap himself, but not with a dive bomb into the side of Max, the race leader who had already gotten ahead of EO. Ridiculous move on Ocon’s part, hence the penalty.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
12th November 2018, 9:19
I agree as do the Stewards and all sensible commentators. Case closed.
Martin
12th November 2018, 13:33
In what way was it a dive bomb? Ocon was alongside Verstappen from before turn . The absolute nonsense on this site.
Ocon was entitled to space, he wasn’t being lapped he was unlapping himself. Max ran into him plain and simple, once again not leaving enough space for a car significantly alongside him.
Martin
12th November 2018, 13:34
*before turn 1
Jere (@jerejj)
12th November 2018, 9:51
@david-br Yes, he indeed had. Ocon had no business or right to put himself into a position where a crash would be rather inevitable to happen anyway since he was a full lap down after having just gotten lapped. He should’ve backed off earlier, and thus, create distance to Max at T1 at the very latest if not on the long run down to that corner already.
David BR (@david-br)
12th November 2018, 10:16
@jerejj Ocon was stuck behind Verstappen for a lap and was instructed by his team that he could unlap himself. My reading (and I suspect this is what Hamilton) is that MV decided ‘no way is he unlapping himself’ and preceded to race Ocon into the first corner. Fine, but that means Ocon’s easy unlapping became a contested corner. At what point is he supposed to guess Verstappen is fighting the position and decide to relent? That’s the point Hamilton was making. Verstappen’s aggression is such that he’s going to fight a backmarker at the first attempt rather than let him have the first corner and then indicate he’s coming past (with blue flags if needed). I’d give Ocon some leeway here. Everyone is being super generous to MV when his performance this year doesn’t merit it, thinking particularly of his shunt on Raikkonen, which damaged Kimi’s race, his collision with Vettel, which didn’t earn him a bout of shoving, and his attempt to push Hamilton off track at Bahrain, which got him a puncture. 2 more Ocon-type incidents and as Alonso alluded, maybe MV’s karma for the season would be balanced!
JI
12th November 2018, 10:40
pls dude..stop embarassing yourself
David BR (@david-br)
12th November 2018, 10:48
JI, me? no! I don’t mind arguing a minority view and defending Ocon here.
erikje
12th November 2018, 11:53
Ocon has a list of incidents ( mostly with his teammate he tries to “fight”) of the same kind.
Sometimes the red mist clouds his judgement.. like fighting the raceleader for position while a lap down.
He has some serious frustration at the moment.
Martin
12th November 2018, 13:38
Yeah cause Max has never had an incident before right? Seriously counting up previous crashes is not a hill you want to die on if you are trying to defend MAx because you will lose hard.
And for Max sometimes the red mist clouds his judgement.. like fighting a car that is only unlapping himself when there is absolutely 0 need to.
Ocon was significantly alongside Max and Max decided not to leave him any space. Not for the first time Max cost himself a win with some amateur driving.
RageF1
12th November 2018, 11:15
The penalty was not for the attempt to ´unlap´ himself. This is how the stewards judged:
The driver of Car 31 (Esteban Ocon) was a lapped car. The Stewards noted that he had new Super Soft tyres. Ocon attempted a pass on the leader, Car 33 (Max Verstappen) to un-lap himself at the outside of turn one. The Stewards determined that he failed to complete the pass at turn one, and as a lapped car, fought the leader for track position, causing the collision at turn 2 with the race leader.
And the story of Ocon being faster, in his own words ‘for a couple of laps’ is not supported by the racedata. He was one lap faster after his pitsstop (0.484s). For the remaining laps and despite the heavily damaged car of Verstappen, Ocon was only one lap faster (lap 68 0.025s). At lap 44 (the collision lap) he was 73.389 seconds behind Max, his stop and go cost him 31.2s and he finished 137.129s behind Max. So, excluding the stop and go, he lost another 32.5s which is more than a second per lap. That makes his claim that he was way faster than Max and the claim of his boss that he would be in front of Max for 5 or 6 laps after unlapping himself dubious, to say the least.
erikje
12th November 2018, 11:54
But if you do not like Max, facts are only ballast for some.
Pete
12th November 2018, 12:18
you don’t un-lap yourself with by racing with the race leader, which is what Ocon was doing – down the back straight, into turn one and then into turn two, he should never have been on the inside of Verstappen.
Dom (@3dom)
11th November 2018, 21:27
Sound like a sensible solution to me
Chad (@chaddy)
12th November 2018, 5:25
It’s a good time to assign some community service– I hear the FIA has a broken weigh bridge they need someone to fix.
John H (@john-h)
12th November 2018, 9:27
Brilliant @chaddy :)
ColdFly (@)
12th November 2018, 9:55
Good one, @chaddy.
peter
11th November 2018, 21:28
Only two days kicking ocons nuts in public?
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
11th November 2018, 22:03
What else did you expect? jail time? he pushed a guy around, he didn’t assault him, or punch him. No sympathy for Verstappen, it was serious but it’s nothing compared to what we see in football or other sports anyway. 2 days of public service seems fair enough.
GnosticBrian (@gnosticbrian)
11th November 2018, 23:27
Pushing someone assault.
RP (@slotopen)
11th November 2018, 23:17
I think no driver has gotten away with more than Verstappen. Seems like for 2 seasons he has been a rolling mine field.
In my view he should have received more penalties. He seems to have gotten a little more patient, and all the better for it. But then yet again he was involved in an avoidable collision, and yet there is a technical justification, ambiguity, or other excuse.
Then he is violent after the race? What is the result? Will the FIA finally stand up to the bully? Nope, a slap on the wrist.
So it goes on. Next race his rivals will be wary to race him again. In my view Verstappen and F1 would be better off if he got a couple serious penalties so his behavior changes before somebody gets hurt.
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@arnoudvanhouwelingen)
11th November 2018, 23:24
RP … violent? give me a break .. a couple of pushes is not that violent .. i see worse every weekend on the football pitch. Vettel almost run over a fia official at the weighing bridge i think that is way more violent. Also Max got a punishment .. he has to work for FIA for 2 days within the next 6 months. And what about Ocon then? He should have gotten a grid penalty for the next race!!
GnosticBrian (@gnosticbrian)
11th November 2018, 23:29
Football supporters as a paradigm for good behaviour – there’s a novelty.
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
12th November 2018, 11:06
I know one. Sebastian Vettel
Hit his teammate (turkey 2010)
Repeatedly involved/to blame for first lap crashes (Mexico 2017, Singapore 2017, malaysia 2016, France 2018)
Vehicular assault (Baku 2017)
Poor teammate (Malaysia 2013)
only driver to fall foul of 2016’s “verstappen rule”
cussed out the stewards (mexico 2016)
Yes, it wasn’t wise to get pushy, but you’re overexaggerating what happened. we’ve had drivers in the past who kicked punched or grabbed others by the throat, who stormed into a rival team’s pit box almost full NASCAR style, and if anything people seem to remind that as being something positive.
Also, Max doesn’t get away with that much (Mexico 2016 (the same race where one of the Mercedes drivers got away with doing just about exactly the same), China 2018, USA 2017, Monaco 2015). He doesn’t seem to learn that quickly, as he does occasioanlly showcase, but he does get the penalties
And I get it, people don’t like Max. I don’t really like him; he’s way too cocky, but you don’t have to twist the facts.
ColdFly (@)
12th November 2018, 9:57
That’s the going rate.
You get five though if you lick Magnussen’s ;)
Matthijs (@matthijs)
11th November 2018, 21:28
Regardless of this being lenient, harsh or fair, since when does F1 have the authority to decide this?
@BoysFromTheDwarf (@boysfromthedwarf)
11th November 2018, 21:31
What do you mean? If he doesn’t he’ll face further sanction from the FIA – this is their sport and he’ll do as he’s told.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
11th November 2018, 21:45
@boysfromthedwarf I mean public service is not a punishment FIA tends to give. I never heard of a punishment not related to racing or a race. Another record voor Verstappen? ;)
GnosticBrian (@gnosticbrian)
11th November 2018, 23:32
But the offence was racing related – the trigger being the on track events and the offence took place at the FIA driver weigh in.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
11th November 2018, 21:42
Interesting question. As long as the FIA issue his superlicense, I would say their authority in this is pretty supreme. However, a real ‘public service penalty’ in the form of manual labour (which obviously this isn’t, but is the most akin to) could be construed as a criminal charge under ECHR case law. I don’t think the penalty is severe enough for that, so the FIA would have the power to do this. It’s an internal disciplinary proceedings, and it falls below the penalty usually reserved for more serious re-examination.
(although, don’t take my word for it, I’m not a laywer)
Estesark (@estesark)
11th November 2018, 23:37
Are you the Pope though?
ForzaRogo (@forzarogo)
12th November 2018, 0:15
@hahostolze @matthijs public service refers to attending FIA events for feeder series etc and such to pretty much tell the younguns to not do that sort of stuff, vettel got 2 weeks of it after baku 2017
ColdFly (@)
12th November 2018, 10:03
must be a field day for his sponsor’s.
Probably attending go-kart races in Jumbo Supermarket carparks ;)
@forzarogo
ForzaRogo (@forzarogo)
12th November 2018, 12:49
@coldfly lmao
Mark (@blueruck)
11th November 2018, 21:28
Meaning they understand and they don’t want this to become a regular situation after races.
ColdFly (@)
12th November 2018, 10:04
Liberty disagrees and will pay a huge bonus for the next action which creates so much attention.
@blueruck
@BoysFromTheDwarf (@boysfromthedwarf)
11th November 2018, 21:29
Slap on the bottom for the naughty boy… now go and brush your teeth and go to bed before you have your X-box taken off you.
Martijn (@)
11th November 2018, 21:36
Vettel Baku?
Todfod (@todfod)
11th November 2018, 21:44
I think Vettel said sorry. That’s enough for a Ferrari driver.
Jelle van der Meer (@)
11th November 2018, 22:08
Ocon never said sorry for knocking the race leader out as a backmarker.
Unlap yourself is fine but not to fight for position, Ocon’s move in turn 2 was extremely high risk and clear sign of fighting rather than safely unlapping himself.
Max has no obligation to give him room, he was ahead in turn 1 and turn 2 and most important was the race leader while Ocon was backmarker.
William Jones
12th November 2018, 8:16
“Max has no obligation to give him room”
Riddle me this then, if you are lapping a back marker, and he doesn’t move from the racing line, why would you move onto the dirty part of the track to get past them? Why not stay on the racing line, as is your right and plough right into the back of them?
kpcart
12th November 2018, 11:36
He does if he is saving tyres and pacing himself while Ocon is unlapping other cars and now in spot to. If they hadn’t contacted, I bet all the commentators would have been slamming Ocon for cutting him at the apex, you don’t do that in any situation. I Bet verstappen would have kept up his record of dirty blocking for the following laps. He needs to swallow his pride and realise he isn’t the only one racing. Often lower midfield drivers putting in better drives than verstappen did, I don’t know why he ruined his own race by racing and blocking ocon, they were not in the same race, the pass was on, just let him past and concentrate on winning the race.
DaveW (@dmw)
11th November 2018, 21:42
“Sympathetic to his passion.” OK!
I’m sure Mateschitz can turn these two days of service into a nice video promo for the drinks. We can follow Max around as he delivers free crates of Red Bull to Red Bull fans at a Red Bull sponsored airplane race.
faulty (@faulty)
11th November 2018, 21:44
The standards these days, I expected Verstappen to be put on probation.
Todfod (@todfod)
11th November 2018, 21:46
@faulty
Nelson Piquet threw a few Kung-fu kicks at another driver when he was leading the race and taken out by a back marker. I think he got away Scot free. It’s a decent enough penalty for a few push and shoves.
@faulty
11th November 2018, 22:22
Yeah, but in the case of Piquet v Salazar, it was done there and then, in the gravel trap.
Not half an hour later.
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@arnoudvanhouwelingen)
11th November 2018, 23:25
What about Schumacher in Spa then?
John H (@john-h)
12th November 2018, 9:30
He didn’t actually get to Coulthard as far as I remember.
Todfod (@todfod)
12th November 2018, 6:21
How does that make any difference?
AMG44 (@amg44)
11th November 2018, 21:46
Disgusting behaviour by Max there. He pushed Ocon multiple times.
What about those times when he made contact with others and ruined their races like in China this year destroying Vettel’s race when Vettel was battling for the top 2.
Point is in racing things happen, but pushing a fellow driver like that is classless.
Jelle van der Meer (@)
11th November 2018, 22:11
Key difference is that they were fighting for position with neither being a lap down.
That is what most folks forget, as backmarker younare not allowed to fight for position to unlap yourself. Ocon made a very high risk move trying to unlap himself – that is where he made the mistake.
Pjotr (@pietkoster)
11th November 2018, 22:19
Ocon must be lucky the old man was not there. He would probably needed an ambulance to get home.
Arnoud van Houwelingen (@arnoudvanhouwelingen)
11th November 2018, 23:27
That is different AMG44 .. back then in China they raced for position .. you can’t compare what happened in China with what happened here? I guess you liked the move from Ocon otherwise your man would have never won!
Rapu
12th November 2018, 2:02
This sort of behavior by VER is putting me off watching F1, the other week he was he was so visibly upset at missing “his” pole, very immature, so if he is the future of F1, a sad day. He needs to grow up but with the influence of his father (and his DNA) there seems to be little hope of that happening anytime. He was riding on the back of RIC jovial nature, but you could see even that was fake, I am surprised RB want him as their image, even if he is a fast driver.
Cid Highwind
12th November 2018, 4:04
VER was right.
This is a mans sport.
And some times this happens.
Watch NFL football NBA NHL.
Sometimes men clash.
And these are young men too.
If you even cant take this then go watch chess or ballet.
Com on guys.
Dont blow this up.
Plus
Dont you guys remember the old times?
If you would do this to Senna, wherever not even on Interlagos.
He would have even given you a harder problem.
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
12th November 2018, 9:15
Yeah but Senna would also crash you out on purpose with a Day’s planning in order to become wdc
So he’s not exactly an appropiate embassador for sportsmanship…
Garns (@)
12th November 2018, 10:24
That’s a little harsh, Prost done the same to him one year earlier!
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
12th November 2018, 10:47
@garns Prost tried to close the door on him at very low speed, making contact in the process. Not exactly clean, i agree.
But Senna just straightup plowed into him at pretty much full speed
racefan
12th November 2018, 6:41
“Disgusting behaviour by Max there. He pushed Ocon multiple times.”
Yes, Ocon was quite right to take out the race leader, justified by knowing he would be pushed around later, after not apologizing for ruining the sport element of the Grand Prix. I mean, we could all see Verstappen pushed Ocon so hard it actually hit 10G, way more than Ocon suffers in a race car. Totally unaceptable.
MaliceCooper
11th November 2018, 21:50
Handbags at dawn! Still, at least he didn’t headbutt him.
I bet he wouldn’t try that same shove if it had been K-Mag that clipped him.
Dave
11th November 2018, 21:54
Community service?
erikje
11th November 2018, 23:13
Visiting some children hospitals and the likes probably..
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
11th November 2018, 23:17
Yes. Max will be obligated to lobby and ensure Ocon gets a Toro Rosso seat next season. Then Ocon will be obligated to always get out of Max’s way and take out a Merc or Ferrari when requested. That’s F1 community service.
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
12th November 2018, 4:10
Yes. He obliged to do donuts 2×24 hours for F1 community.
Mike
11th November 2018, 22:03
Its pretty obvious the fact that Ocon did not apologize is what triggered Verstappen. He still sees no fault in what happened. Even if they were racing for position, I don’t understand how people suggest Max was at fault. Max was in front and taking the racing line. Leave more space? Should he have to worry about that when he is leading the race? Switch Max for Hamilton, Vettel or Kimi and everyone would be blaming Ocon for attempting a desperate dive on the inside.
Martijn (@)
11th November 2018, 22:11
+1 unlap yourself, sure. But don’t bother the race leader with it.
Jelle van der Meer (@)
11th November 2018, 22:12
+1 thank you well said
Pjotr (@pietkoster)
11th November 2018, 22:43