Schumacher sees Piastri's hand in incident with Verstappen: 'There will be contact'
Photo: Race Pictures
A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
Ralf Schumacher has given his two cents on Max Verstappen's penalty, and believes that it was indeed justified..
In the Sky Sports Germany podcast, Schumacher has a clear view on the matter, holding Oscar Piastri accountable, but noting Verstappen took advantage of the incident.
"He was also happy beforehand with gaining almost two car lengths when exiting the corner. He immediately went full throttle again and just took advantage of it. And that, in my opinion, is where the problem lies: he gained an advantage."
"If he had waited and then, for example, entered the next corner side by side, it might have been overlooked. Because one thing is clear: Piastri left no room. If he had stayed, there would definitely have been contact, that's clear. But he went on the gas too early. That's why the penalty is justified. Otherwise, this will become the standard in the future. And Piastri simply had the better start."
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Is Piastri in Verstappen's Head?
The podcast delved deeper into Verstappen's mental state. Where the Dutchman normally remains quite calm, he showed clear frustration after the race. Schumacher was then asked whether Piastri had delivered a mental blow to Verstappen in this race, and whether the championship leader is getting inside his head.
"He was more annoyed with himself, because he almost never makes mistakes", the former F1 driver responded. "He knew very well he was wrong, and had to cut through to keep driving at the front. I think he is very honest with himself and knows that with the car and himself, they could have won. That, of course, bothers him, that it didn't happen. So it doesn't matter who is beside him, I don't believe that", said Schumacher.
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