Verstappen points finger at Hamilton after Madrid scare: ‘My race could have been over’
Photo: Race Pictures
18:17, 13 Sep
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Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Max Verstappen has said he is "happy" to have finished P2 at the Spanish GP following a Lap 1 incident with Lewis Hamilton at the Madring. The Dutchman claimed his race "could have been over" had he not taken avoiding action at the Turn 2 chicane ahead of the Ferrari driver.
Verstappen, much to his frustration, was immediately told to give the position back to Hamilton - subsequently dropping two places after letting both eventual race winner Kimi Antonelli and then the Briton by.
The four-time world champion nonetheless drove an impressive race at the all-new Madring circuit, keeping Antonelli honest throughout the 57-lap action, while also keeping a charging Lando Norris at bay, but ultimately finished P2 at a semi-street circuit where overtaking has proven difficult.
Verstappen points the finger at Hamilton
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Photo: Race Pictures
Asked whether he could have won the race without having to let his rivals through, Verstappen chose to focus on the incident with Hamilton, claiming he could have had race-ending damage had he stayed on track during the clash.
Verstappen, speaking to media, including GPblog, said: "I would have had damage at the start if I would have stayed on track. So then the win was also not on. It's as simple as that."
Explaining the incident with Hamilton, Verstappen said he was ultimately happy to have ended up in P2 at the Madring. He said: "I just did my own thing in Turn 1, but Lewis went for a move on on the first two and bottomed out on the curb.
"So he just jumped back onto the track, and that's why I had to go off the road. If I would have stayed there, I would have definitely had contact. So then my race could have potentially been over in turn two. And that's why I think where we are now, I'm happy to to be.'"
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Verstappen: Red Bull over-performing amid RB22 issues
Verstappen's result was his fifth podium in seven races, and the Dutchman was asked of the potential of what has admittedly been troublesome RB22 so far this season.
He replied: "I mean, we profit sometimes a little bit from some misfortune of others, but we are also trying to really maximise and sometimes maybe, yes, slightly over perform, and that's good.
"That's the only thing that we can do at the moment. Now we rely on making our package, like our overall package, a little bit stronger to really be in a potential fight for the win."
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