Verstappen won't leave it at that: "We're going to talk about it"

Due to the safety car Max Verstappen was again lying just behind Lewis Hamilton during the Eifel Grand Prix. The Dutchman was keen to react immediately at the moment that the Brit would accelerate at the restart. That didn't really work out, because Hamilton immediately managed to hit a hole. On TV it seemed as if Verstappen wasn't paying attention to that moment, but his own explanation shows that it's something else.

Lack of grip

Had Verstappen not anticipated the start of Hamilton? "Yes, but I just didn't have a grip," he says at Peptalk tonight at Ziggo Sport. "I saw him go and all I had was wheel spin, so not much happened." 

Of course this was due to the cooled tyres, something that didn't bother Hamilton. Undoubtedly because of the DAS system, which is ideal to keep the tyres warm in situations like this.

Ricciardo also got away better, but he was unable to catch up with Verstappen. This whole thing did, however, create a new point of discussion, because in front of the computer, all drivers who have previously been put on a lap are allowed to overtake the safety car before it comes in. This allows everything to continue 'unlapped', but that gives all those drivers an advantage: warmer tyres. For Verstappen in this case an unfair situation.

Talk about it during the drivers briefing

Have you already discussed this with the competition management? "Not yet," says Verstappen, but he doesn't leave it at that either. "Before every race, before every weekend, we have a drivers briefing so we'll talk about it then." 

In short, it will be discussed and perhaps something will be done about it, because the Dutchman has a point that it is somewhat unfair, regardless of which driver it concerns.

Did Verstappen have any chance at all of winning? He is quite realistic about that: "No, not normally, unless he (Hamilton) made a mistake on that restart. But in general, we are too slow."

So even if Verstappen had had warm tyres, the chance of victory would still have been minimal.