Palmer realistic: 'Verstappen aggressive towards Hamilton all season'

The accident between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton has caused a clear division in the F1-paddock. Never before have Red Bull Racing and Mercedes been so far apart. Mercedes sees it as a racing incident, Red Bull as a serious error by Hamilton. Jolyon Palmer can understand both sides.

"I can see it as a racing incident. It's two guys fighting so hard, neither willing to bak out. Max turning in knowing there was a Mercedes right on the inside. Lewis keeping his foot in knowing there's a Red Bull on the outside. He misses the apex by a fraction, but he's not super wide. He does just miss the apex a little bit," Palmer explained to Formula1.com.

Accident inevitable at Silverstone?

Palmer acknowledged that both title rivals gave each other very little room. "I think the way they were driving for half a lap, they were going to crash at some point. It could have been at turn one, it almost happened on the straight line and in the end, they did."

It's not the first time Hamilton and Verstappen have run into each other on the track. In previous races it was always Verstappen as the attacking party. "Through the season so far, Max has been so aggressive with Lewis. We've seen it at Imola, passing Lewis on the kerbs and at Barcelona he sent that lunge into turn one, and it's always Lewis backing out," Palmer concluded.