Red Bull F1 Maestro Confesses to Max Verstappen’s Controversial 2021 Antics

Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton was the theme throughout the 2021 season. Their battles were enticing, to say the least. However, their rivalry also resulted in plenty of controversies and debates among fans and experts alike. The nail-biting racing between the two in Jeddah was arguably one of the best racing drama seen last year.

At the same time, there were several questions that emerged after the race. Did Max Verstappen deliberately brake test Hamilton? Well, Red Bull’s chief engineer Adrian Newey believes he did and called it ‘silly’ from the Dutchman’s part. Newey revealed his thoughts on the battle between the two in an interview with The Race.

Adrian Newey admits to Max Verstappen’s error in Saudi Arabia

Apart from their incidents in Silverstone and Monza, there were two separate moments between Hamilton and Verstappen that were heavily debated. The first in Brazil, where the reigning world champion forced Hamilton wide in the corners during lap 48. Some believe Verstappen did not give space to the Mercedes driver.

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The second incident came in Saudi Arabia that was controversial. They raced wheel to wheel as Hamilton edged out Verstappen. But the Dutchman came out on top as he gained time by going inside the corners.

Following the incident, the Red Bull driver was instructed to give the place back to Hamilton. However, as he slowed down, he brake tested the Briton, resulting in a collision between the two.

Adrian Newey admits Verstappen was at fault. “Probably what he did in Brazil last year was a bit naughty. Saudi was silly but I think he got frustrated with Lewis not overtaking him but he still shouldn’t have brake-tested him, “ he said.

Newey blames Hamilton for the Silverstone incident

Adrian Newey believes Hamilton’s crash with Verstappen in Silverstone was tactical. Notably, the seven time world champion cliched the victory in the end while the Dutchman suffered a massive crash early in the race.

He added, “But Silverstone to me was a clear professional foul [by Hamilton] and people seem to have a short memory. They brand an individual and it takes time for that to go. He’s very easy to work with, very open. You ask him to do things and he’ll always try.”

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Although the two gave us some thrilling racing drama, controversies surrounded them. However, the 2021 season provided us with some great racing action throughout the season. Is Newey’s comments on Hamilton justified? Leave your opinions in the comments.