The incident highlighted the intense competition between

The 2024 Italian Grand Prix was marked by a series of incidents involving the two Mercedes drivers and Max Verstappen, which added tension to an already competitive race. The collisions occurred after Max Verstappen’s call for a penalty against Lewis Hamilton, which sparked controversy and discussions about racecraft and penalties in Formula 1.

The race started with Verstappen in seventh, positioned behind both Mercedes drivers. George Russell, starting from third, was in a strong position to challenge the leading McLarens. However, at the first corner, Russell locked up while braking late to avoid a collision with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. This forced him off the track, where he rejoined near Hamilton and Verstappen, who were battling for position. Hamilton had a brief collision with Carlos Sainz, which compromised his position as well.

As the race progressed, Verstappen managed to gain on Hamilton and attempted to overtake him through the Curva Grande. However, Hamilton drifted slightly, resulting in light contact between the two drivers. Verstappen immediately called for a penalty on Hamilton, claiming that he was not given enough space. Hamilton, on the other hand, reported damage from the collision, but both were able to continue the race.

Meanwhile, George Russell’s front wing was damaged in a subsequent incident involving Verstappen, which caused him to lose performance. Despite this, Russell managed to finish just behind Verstappen, though he had to pit for repairs earlier in the race. Hamilton eventually finished well ahead of both Verstappen and Russell, despite the early contact.

The incident highlighted the intense competition between Verstappen and Hamilton, with Verstappen frustrated by the lack of a penalty, referencing a similar incident from a previous race where he had been penalized. The collisions and the subsequent controversy over driving standards and penalties were a major talking point .

Prior to this, Verstappen’s momentary momentum stall meant that Russell’s better line through the first apex brought the latter’s front wheels level with the former’s rears, and as they approached the second apex’s departure, the Mercedes was pinched even as Russell braked with the space decreasing.

Verstappen’s left rear wheel then knocked off Russell’s right-side endplate, prompting the Briton to say “Piastri just came across me in the braking zone” before asking Mercedes to inspect his damaged front wing as the first lap finished. “I think the front wing is off,” he continued.

Verstappen urged Red Bull to “check my left-rear tyre cause I touched a little bit I think” but was given the go-ahead to continue, as Hamilton had been. Russell, on the other hand, “lost a huge amount of performance” due to damage sustained in the opening stint, when he was dropped by Verstappen and subsequently passed by Sergio Perez in the other RB20 before pitting to replace his front wing.

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