Verstappen slams Bottas: "He always hesitates and he did it again"

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was penalized for causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas, but the Dutchman firmly disagreed with the call, saying he gave Bottas space but the Finn simply made a "half-hearted move".

Verstappen was driving on a podium place after starting fifth, with the Dutchman overtaking Bottas at the first turn of the race. It looked to be a second podium-finish for the 20-year-old, until Bottas came knocking on the door. The Finn unsuccessfully tried a move before, but when he tried to get on Verstappen's outside, the two touched, and Verstappen got a five-second penalty. That eventually cost him two places, meaning he finished fifth even though he crossed the line third.

"It's not surprising that Bottas made a half-hearted move like that," Verstappen told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

"He always hesitates and did it again there.

"Hamilton and Vettel are much more direct with that, they would never hang around behind me for so long.

"If Bottas is hesitating for that long, I'm never letting him past, of course," the fiery Verstappen said.

Both cars had no damage after they touched, but the Dutchman got hit with a penalty. He firmly disagreed with that decision.

"You have to be able to race hard," he explained.

"There was a little touch and you immediately get penalized.

"I could let him past, but I'm not wired like that.

"I'm already in a lesser car, so I'm not throwing away a chance to get on the podium."