Verstappen “not surprised” by Mercedes’ request to review F1 clash

The two championship rivals left the track at Turn 4 when Lewis Hamilton attempted to pass Verstappen around the outside in a controversial moment during Sunday’s race in Brazil. The incident was noted but no further investigation was deemed necessary. 

After missing on-board footage from Verstappen’s car was released on Tuesday, Mercedes formally requested a “right of review”. 

A hearing is taking place on Thursday in Qatar to determine whether the incident should be reassessed. 

"I didn’t need to look at the footage because I was driving the car so I know exactly what happened,” Verstappen joked when asked if he had viewed all of the angles. 

“I thought it was a great battle and I had a lot of fun as well out there. At the end of the day they won the race fair enough, they were faster than us, but I thought it was a good battle.” 

Verstappen, who arrives at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix holding a 14-point advantage over Hamilton in the world championship, does not expect to be hit with a retrospective penalty. 

“I don’t even think about that,” said Verstappen. “‘If, if, if’ - I mean it’s not the end of the world.

“But again, I don’t expect that to happen because I thought it was fair and hard racing between two guys who are fighting for the championship. 

“So it wouldn’t have been, anyway, an easy pass because that is not how I am and I don’t think how it should be when you are fighting for the title.”

And Verstappen said he would do the exactly the same again if he found himself in a similar situation. 

“As I driver I think we know exactly what we can or cannot do in a car,” he said. 

“We were fighting hard, braking late into the corner, the tyres are quite worn and if I would have turned more abrupt to the left you just spin off the track. So that’s why we are the drivers, you try to control the car.”