Exposed: Max Verstappen cost himself €50k for a mind game against Lewis Hamilton

A mind game Max Verstappen resorted to in the thick of his title battle with Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 Formula 1 season has been revealed.

Verstappen’s then-performance coach Bradley Scanes disclosed that the Dutchman deliberately touched Hamilton’s contentious rear wing after qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix to shift attention onto Mercedes’ car legality.

After Hamilton had secured pole position in São Paulo, Verstappen was filmed entering parc ferme - a restricted area - to inspect the rear wing of the Mercedes W12.

At the time, Red Bull suspected that Mercedes was benefitting from a flexing rear wing that provided a straightline speed advantage. 

Technical checks later showed that Hamilton’s DRS flap opened 0.2 millimetres more than regulations allowed, resulting in his exclusion from qualifying and a back-of-the-grid start for the Sprint race.

Max Verstappen mind games with Lewis Hamilton

Scanes explained that Verstappen’s unusual parc ferme appearance had been agreed within Red Bull and was another psychological tactic in a championship battle that extended far beyond the track.

“Brazil was a good example [of mind games],” he told the High Performance podcast. “Max went behind the Mercedes rear wing and was giving it a good feel.

“That was measured. He knew he was going to get a 50k fine and no impact on track.

“[He had] not [spoken with] me personally, but within the team it was discussed.”

Following the exclusion, Mercedes had later explained that the DRS infringement was caused by a broken rear wing rather than the part. The breach was not directly related to the flexing Red Bull had suspected.

However, Scanes argued that Verstappen’s actions did the job and diverted the focus in a different direction on what was expected to be one of the most dominant weekends of the season for Mercedes.

“Even if nothing happened, [it would have been worth it],” said Scanes. "I think there was a change. So for the last two races, they couldn't run that particular wing. 

“So that was helpful in its own sense because they absolutely ran away with that Brazil race. But even if nothing happened, that would have just shifted the focus, put a little bit of pressure in the media on them.”

"Obviously the games between Toto and Christian were always clear to to see in the in the media, but then back backdoors or backstage as it were, cool down rooms after between Max and Lewis, or even Angela [Cullen] would kind of try and have a have a little go as well.