That incident between Lewis and Max is just bizarre. Max reminds me of Maldonado when he did the same thing to Lewis rather than tuck in behind when he knew he’d been beaten. This kid seems to ooze maturity at some races but then it’s absent at others, totally bizarre.
I think Max has made it clear that he will never concede a corner - NEVER. Add in he was carrying greater speed and the only reason he was where he was was due to the piss-poor pitstop and the points battle was tight enough that if Lewis finished ahead he probably would regain the WDC lead and I was under no surprise he dived in like he did.
As for Lewis, one could argue that he should know Max's
modus operandi (he's seen it in action against him enough times), and yielded the corner since the AMG was faster than the RBR and he had a solid shot at overtaking him next lap. But Lewis is a Racer, as well, and he also has been pretty clear that he will fight Max for a corner when he feels it is rightfully his to fight for (which I am sure he felt was the case here).
Now, did Lewis give Max enough room? He did drift strongly left once he was past the white line (as was his right to make a move at that point) and he did leave space, but as Martin Brundle has noted on many an occasion, an F1 car is 2 meters wide so side-by-side they are 4 meters. As I understand it, the minimum track width for an F1 track is 8m and Monza varies between 10m at a minimum and 18m at its widest. I expect Lewis did give Max at least 2 meters, but probably not much more and of course they were approaching a sharp turn where the radii probably made the "effective width" a fair bit less. Plus add in the car turning and sliding and such and, IMO, Max did not have sufficient room once at the corner to clear Lewis.
So, does this mean Max is at fault for trying a corner he did not have enough room to make? Or is is Lewis for not giving Max more room to allow a safer side-by-side entrance? Or is it a bit of both (which would make it a "Racing Incident" in my mind).
Sausage curb at fault, 100% 😉
It certainly played a major contributing factor, IMO. Also playing a major contributing factor is the sharpness and tightness of the Variante del Rettifilo, which IMO is way too tight for cars approaching from near top-end on the main straight.
There were plans in 2016 to replace the Variante del Rettifilo and the Curve Grande with a new fast right hand kink entering the old Pirelli circuit and into a new, faster chicane, but they were cancelled due to issue with securing the necessary permits due to environmental concerns.
Disappointing hearing Toto, Damon Hill & Johnny Herbert suggesting Max might have deliberately took Lewis out.
Unlike Adelaide 1994 (or Jerez 1997), this race didn't determine the Championship, fellas.
I was disappointed to see Max walk away without checking Lewis was ok as the Red Bull sat on top of the halo. Obviously very frustrated, unless he was advised over the radio Lewis was ok? I know when Max had his huge accident at Silverstone, Lewis asked before the end of the lap if he was ok.
Looking at the replays, when Max walked by you could clearly see Lewis moving in the cockpit and he was trying to back his AMG out from under the RBR so it was clear to me (and likely to Max) that Lewis was physically okay even if he had not heard over the radio his status. And with Lewis trying to extricate his car, it would have been dangerous for Max to approach.
. The halo did it’s job.
