Max Verstappen Believes Lewis Hamilton Will Receive a Grid Penalty for Blocking Him in Qualifying

In an unexpected turn of events during the qualifying session for Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen found himself blocked by Lewis Hamilton, forcing him to abort his lap through one of the circuit’s many blind corners. Despite being informed about Verstappen’s approach, Hamilton was mistakenly told that the Red Bull driver was slowing down, causing him to move towards the center of the track again.

The Aftermath of the Incident

Both drivers and their team representatives were summoned by the FIA race stewards immediately after qualifying, with Verstappen expecting a penalty for Hamilton that could potentially move him up the starting order. As Hamilton qualified one spot ahead of Verstappen in fifth, this would significantly impact the Dutchman’s position on the grid.

When asked about his expectations regarding a potential penalty for Hamilton, Verstappen replied, “Well, if you look at the history of things, yes.” He further explained that while the team was primarily to blame, the strict nature of qualifying sessions usually results in penalties for such incidents.

Verstappen clarified that he had spoken to Hamilton about the near-miss and emphasized that the seven-time world champion was not at fault. “You see the car blocking you, and when you’re there at high speed, it’s… not nice, let’s say,” he explained. However, he pointed out that Hamilton was misinformed about his speed by his team, which led to the incident.

Red Bull Struggles on Monaco’s Bumps and Kerbs

Verstappen had a challenging qualifying session, with a seven-tenth gap from polesitter Lando Norris in the McLaren. Despite appearing to have solved some of the Red Bull RB21’s understeer issues during Friday practice, the four-time world champion lamented a general lack of grip on the bumpy street circuit, which has historically been a weakness for Red Bull.

Verstappen explained that the middle sector, with its low-speed mechanical grip corners, was particularly problematic. “I couldn’t find more lap time compared to practice, really,” he said. “And every time I had to ride a kerb or drop a wheel in a cambered corner, it just didn’t grip up, and that has been our issue.

As soon as they went out in qualifying, Verstappen knew that they were not in contention for the top spots. “Our car is not very good at low speed anyway,” he said. “In qualifying, it has always been very close between a lot of cars, and if you are lacking a bit of feeling and balance in those low-speed corners, then it’s not happening.

Photos from Monaco GP – Practice & Qualifying