Verstappen: Hamilton not getting Q3 penalty ‘annoys me’

Max Verstappen has voiced his annoyance at the steward’s decision not to award Lewis Hamilton the same penalty as him on Saturday.

The Dutchman had pole position taken from him when he was given a three-place grid penalty for not slowing down under yellow flags caused by Valtteri Bottas’s final corner crash.

Despite also appearing not to lift, Hamilton was not given the same penalty.

“The only thing I want to say about it from my side is, of course, there were a lot of comments about it and looking back for sure, I should have lifted,” Verstappen told reporters after the race, where he finished P6.

“But then everybody should do the same. And I know Vettel did the same, but one silver car didn’t and then he doesn’t get a penalty. That annoys me as well.”

“It is what it is, I can’t decide for other drivers to abide by the rules.”

Verstappen would go on to clash with Hamilton on the opening lap of the race and had to go off track to avoid hitting the Mercedes driver.

“Lewis went around the outside of turn one and then braked very deep into turn two so I couldn’t stay there so I had to go off the track,” Verstappen added.

The Red Bull driver then picked up a rear puncture when trying to pass Bottas a few laps later and recovered to finish P6.

“With Valtteri, I went up the inside and when I was alongside him I guess he didn’t see me so he was already turning in and then he clipped me on my right-rear.”

“We had a good car but of course with what happened in the first lap and then afterwards with Valtteri completely ruined the race,” he concluded.

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