F1 News - No further action for Verstappen/Stroll clash

No action from the stewards for the FP2 clash between Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll which ended the Racing Point’s afternoon and brought the red flag out for a time.

In the last half hour of the session, Stroll was putting in a fast lap and overtook Verstappen, who was gearing up to start a quick lap of his own. Verstappen ducked into Stroll’s slipstream, following him around the final corner, where the Canadian finished his lap and the Red Bull driver pulled alongside as the two opened their DRS’ and headed down the start finish straight.

As they reached the first corner Stroll took the racing line into the corner, where Verstappen was, and the two made contact. Both cars left the track but while the Dutchman managed to stay out of the gravel on the outside of the corner and continue, the Canadian wasn’t so lucky and Stroll ended up beached, causing the second red flag of the session.

Verstappen was not impressed over the radio saying ”Is this f**king guy blind? What the f**k is wrong with him?” While the stewards indicated that they would be an investigation into the collision.

Racing Point’s Team Principal, Otmar Szafnauer called Verstappen’s move ridiculous, telling Sky Sports F1 that perhaps the Red Bull driver didn’t realise Stroll was going for a second fast lap.

“It looks like Max didn’t realise we were doing two quick laps there and shouldn’t have been where he was,” said Snafnauer. “We often do it, other teams do two, so it’s pretty common.

“You don’t always do push-cool-push-cool-push, sometimes you push twice just to see what the tyres are like. Had he known he was there he wouldn’t have turned in. We didn’t anticipate Max to go there, I mean what was the purpose?

“It’s just ridiculous. For what gain? I can assure you 100% Max knew Lance was there. There’s no way he doesn’t know Lance was there, but Lance doesn’t know Max is there. It’s pretty simple to me.”

While Christian Horner, the Red Bull Team Principal, said that in a race situation the blame would be on Stroll, but concluded that both drivers probably share equal responsibility for the incident.

“[Verstappen’s] assuming that Lance is finishing a lap,” Horner told Sky Sports F1 after the session. “He’s not aware he’s going for a second lap, so he’s let him past and tucked up behind him. Taken the advantage of the tow and ended up alongside him assuming that he’s going to back out and he knows he’s there and he’s up the inside.

“He felt that Lance was later on the DRS and then Lance, for whatever reason, hasn’t seen him and he’s committed to the corner and he’s turned in. If that were a race, Max would’ve been deemed to be up the inside and therefore the car on the outside should’ve given way.

“He doesn’t know that Lance is going for a second lap, we saw that Lance is looking at his dash, maybe he’s not even aware that Max is there. Both sides are going to argue their case but I think you probably have to say it was a 50-50 and that’s it.”

The stewards saw the incident the same way Horner did as they ruled that “neither driver was wholly or predominantly at fault.” Both Stroll and Verstappen agreed during the stewards hearing that “the incident was the result of a misunderstanding between them and that with hindsight, both could have contributed to avoid the incident.”