Max Verstappen could have finished as high as second if he hadn’t been hit by Sebastian Vettel, says Christian Horner.
The Red Bull driver had just taken third place when he was hit from behind by the Ferrari. He was on course to inherit take place from Valtteri Bottas, who needed to make a second pit stop.“Obviously from our perspective it was very frustrating because it knocked Max off a guaranteed podium,” said Horner.
“Which spot on the podium we don’t know, he would have been certainly on second on track and then whether Valtteri would’ve been able to catch him or not we’d have had to wait and see. So that was very frustrating.”
Horner admitted he was relieved Verstappen finished at all after his car was launched off a sausage kerb and through a gravel trap.
“It’s remarkable that the car held together,” he said. “To keep going with the damage he had was quite incredible. At least he managed to finish the race and get some points out of it.
“So [it’s] frustrating because it obviously made a great pass on set. And I can only imagine it was a complete misjudgement by Seb to lock up and hit him the way he did.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2019 F1 season
- Crying in the Melbourne car park at 2019 grand prix was my career low – Ocon
- McLaren Racing reports reduced £71 million loss in 2019
- Kvyat: Hockenheim podium last year was “my biggest achievement” so far
- How the FIA’s new encrypted fuel flow meter targets Ferrari’s suspected ‘aliasing’ trick
- “He smashed my office door”: 23 must-see moments from ‘Drive to Survive’ season two
Lee1
14th July 2019, 22:25
Vettel has major issues. He has shown time and time again that he is susceptible to the red mist. 10 second penalty was useless.
erikje
14th July 2019, 22:32
No penalty would compensate for his action. He gifted lec a podium. Maybe he had something to compensate.
George (@george)
14th July 2019, 22:46
Well at least this distracts from the fact that Ferrari screwed Leclerc’s strategy again.
F1oSaurus (@)
15th July 2019, 21:01
@george I know right! They saw how they failed with this strategy in Austria and yet they tried it again? Although in their defense, this was a 2-stop strategy race and perhaps in that scenario it might have been better to get the softs out of the way quickly. I very much doubt it though. Still he was unlucky with the safety car too. While Vettel benefited massively from it.
Dom (@3dom)
14th July 2019, 22:36
Importantly he cost me a high score in the predictions championship 😏😜
OOliver
14th July 2019, 22:40
If the Honda engine was looking for an excuse to blow up, it was presented a wonderful opportunity.
To my surprise, the engine kept on going and seemed to be faster than before. Amazing how much the Honda engines have improved.
MacLeod (@macleod)
14th July 2019, 22:57
Max was really flying over the track! Those red bulls are very strong,
Lee1
14th July 2019, 23:12
It really did have wings…
MacLeod (@macleod)
15th July 2019, 7:50
The Flying Dutchman!
F1oSaurus (@)
15th July 2019, 21:01
The wings were cracked at the start of the race though …
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
14th July 2019, 23:03
There se go again. Seb and close racing. After textbook examples from Mercedes Boys, Max Charles, then this. There IS no helping him. He crashes every second time he is under pressure.
Lee1
14th July 2019, 23:15
Indeed. This race highlighted this more than ever. Bottas and Lewis were racing fantastically lap after lap, Max and Lecleerc raced brilliantly lap after lap. The first time vettel was close to anyone, he crashes in the most inept way possible (apart from anything Grosjean does). Vettel is psychologically flawed.
Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
15th July 2019, 4:14
Max isn’t any different if anything he is exactly like vettel, overhyped by red bull despite constantly making mistakes
Esploratore (@esploratore)
15th July 2019, 4:57
Verstappen hardly ever made mistakes since monaco 2018, this wasn’t on him and apart from the horrible start to the 2018 season he was very rarely making mistakes early on his career either.
LosD (@losd)
15th July 2019, 10:06
@carlosmedrano While I would normally/previously agree, Verstappen drove an amazingly mature drive. Long fight with Leclerc, but none of his signature “back off or we will crash” moves. Only thing risky was keeping his foot down after being forced wide by Leclerc, and that was only (well, mostly) a risk to himself… And probably the most exciting moment of the race, not counting crashes. I’m still not sure how he kept the car pointing the right way AND getting it back in front.
Philip Carr
15th July 2019, 19:11
Max has learnt from his mistakes and become a great driver. Vettel didn’t make mistakes whilst driving his Red Bull with the blown diffuser. However, as soon as the regs changed in 2014 it’s been a steady decline of form for Vettel. Too many crashes whilst under pressure from other drivers or when he’s in close, wheel to wheel, combat. It’s time to hang up your helmet Seb & leave the racing to the young guns and the goat!
F1oSaurus (@)
15th July 2019, 21:05
He crashed with the Red Bull often enough too. In 2011 Vettel was called the called the crash kid because he crashed so often. Notably after he t-boned Button in the Spa bus stop
Blaize Falconberger (@)
15th July 2019, 19:13
Max is maturing and getting smoother, more chilled, less hot headed; I can see it and it’s good to see… Seb is a former champion and should know better. He has no excuses and is going in the opposite direction.
Todfod (@todfod)
15th July 2019, 7:48
@jureo
I don’t see why people are even surprised by this anymore. I was watching the race with a friend, and as soon as Max started piling the pressure on Seb, I setup a wager saying Vettel will make contact with him. Vettel didn’t disappoint.
I’ve never held Vettel in high regard as a racer… and he just constantly proves me right. It’s a shame that a driver of his calibre is getting the faith and support of Ferrari to lead a championship challenge. He just isn’t capable of competing against the Hamiltons and Verstappen’s of the grid, and the quicker he’s dumped by Ferrari, the better for Ferrari and the viewers who want to see a proper driver mount a challenge.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
15th July 2019, 9:19
@todfod Easy wager win.
He really needs to improve. Maybe start doing karting again or anything. He is fast in free air, brilliant from the front, but races where he can absorb pressure and few and far between.
Look at Leclerc yesterday defending his position ruthlessly, but without penalty, and without ramming his opponent from the back.
He looks like a rookie. :( Where can a 4 time wdc with 20 years racing experience move from this? It is not like it’s his rookie year and we can expect him to improve massively. He is a 40 million euro/year liability.
And the car doesn’t suit him. Ferrari need a new driver, not sure Vettel can recover.
Steveetienne
15th July 2019, 9:25
Alonso back in the Ferrari next year.
David BR (@david-br)
15th July 2019, 13:47
@todfod I think Vettel is good enough to be at Ferrari, just not to be the number one driver. Awkwardly, Leclerc is good enough. The difference between their respective defences against the same hyper-talented racer couldn’t be starker. Leclerc actually bettered Verstappen this time, Vettel had an all too familiar response of panic, red mist, over-driving, whatever we want to call it, and just completely lost his composure, timing and decision-making. It’s been a constant feature of his driving over his F1 career and, much more strangely, he seems never to have acknowledged or worked on it. For all Verstappen’s bravado (which I personally like) you can tell he’s absorbed justified criticism and worked on the weak points of his racing and will continue to do so. Same goes for Leclerc. Perhaps it doesn’t matter. Vettel has his 4 times and a justifiable place in Formula 1 history. He could have achieved more, though.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
14th July 2019, 23:18
Um yeah maybe or maybe Merc would have had a different strategy. Obviously Vettels hit was accidental but in the heat of the moment he just got in to close and wham no down force no front brakes. Hopefully 2021 will put an end to this problem or at least greatly reduce it. Germany looks good for a continuation of the Ferrari RB battle.
JV
15th July 2019, 8:04
This was not because of the cars. It’s all on Vettel.
Stephen Higgins
14th July 2019, 23:21
I don’t know what the F1 equivalent of the yips, dartitis or just being punch-drunk is, but I think Vettel’s got it.
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
15th July 2019, 0:02
Seb ‘The Torpedo’ Vettel!
Honestly, what are we doing here?!!
OOliver
15th July 2019, 0:24
HAHAHA, I was going to say that all afternoon
Todfod (@todfod)
15th July 2019, 9:51
Racing or ping pong?
Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
15th July 2019, 4:12
More like Max cost himself a second place, he never learns. Defended super late if he defended cleanly nothing would have happened. He threw away the third fastest car by making mistakes when his team gifted him the position over leclerc in the pits by going wide on track. Max is lucky the stewards have a hard on for him he should have gotten a penalty for passing leclerc off track. Like always the stewards never punish their dirty golden boy
Esploratore (@esploratore)
15th July 2019, 4:59
Verstappen got a penalty in monaco, he’s by far not one of those who’s never punished, and even those (mercedes), occasionally are, just look at hamilton in austria.
Philip Carr
15th July 2019, 5:08
Max didn’t get a penalty because Charles was also off track (all four wheels). Max drove brilliantly all day & made it a very memorable race.
Your obviously a Vettel supporter who hasn’t noticed that in any close driving Vettel crashes. Against Hamilton earlier this season he lost the rear end; Under pressure in Canada he had his famous off & @ Silverstone he torpedoes into Max looking for an inside gap that was never there!
That’s after he received preferential treatment from his team by pitting first before Leclerc.
drmouse (@drmouse)
15th July 2019, 7:37
Not even just close racing right now. He seems to just like hitting things, whether they be other cats, walls etc.
He needs to get his head straight. He’s a great driver, but right now he’s a menace (just as Verstappen was at the beginning of last year, Hamilton in the year he broke up with Shirtswinger etc). I don’t say this to put him down, but in the hopes that he gets his head back in the game and goes back to being the amazing driver we all know.
Asanator (@asanator)
15th July 2019, 10:41
I’m sorry, but where is all the arguments sayiong “but if there was a wall there he would have to have backed out” like we had in Austria trying to defend Max?
Nikki (@nikkit)
15th July 2019, 6:50
@carlosmedrano
Seriously? What race were you watching?
Verstappen took the racing line and defended it as was his right to do so. When he did so Vettel was far enough back that Max was able to determine that the the position was secure. He wasn’t weaving and there was no late move to defend, yes, I know that’s shocking when we’re talking about Verstappen, but it’s true.
The incident was wholely Vettel’s fault -he himself has admitted it and the stewards determined likewise – he carried too much speed and went for a gap that wasn’t there to begin with and was never going to be there, short of Verstappen’s car suddenly becoming intangible or the Red Bull suddenly making a right turn instead of a left.
I’m not a fan of Verstappen by any means, but he did nothing wrong yesterday in that incident.
Philip Carr
15th July 2019, 8:20
+1
Lee1
15th July 2019, 9:08
He did not defend super late. He was already too far over to the left for there to be any chance of overtaking at that corner. Vettel was going for a gap that was not there and even if it had been there would have ended in collision. Vettel is a liability. Leclerc and Max were able to duel relentlessly for 20 laps without incident. Vettel was able to make it 2 corners before the crash… I think that says it all.
Esploratore (@esploratore)
15th July 2019, 5:01
On topic, I agree there was a potential 2nd place on offer, however I paid close attention to the gap when bottas came out, he had a 3 sec margin on leclerc, we know vettel and verstappen were a little ahead, but not necessarily enough, and it was 6 laps to go when he pitted, we also know mercedes was undoubtedly the best car here, bottas’ 2nd place was only ever in doubt due to a strategy mistake (even without SC having 2 stops vs hamilton’s 1 would’ve been bad), so he should’ve been able to gain a little more, therefore on the big picture I don’t think vettel threw away anything important, while obviously verstappen was more deserving.
GechiChan (@gechichan)
15th July 2019, 7:50
yes, but Bottas needed to make a pass on track, and he’s not really known as a great overtaker. I actually don’t remember him overtaking on track a rival in a top car.
lucho19 (@lucho19)
15th July 2019, 5:48
It’s me or this is a coincidence? Same happened with RIC…Are we missing something? Why this happens again with MAX?
Nikki (@nikkit)
15th July 2019, 6:56
@lucho19
It’s not the same though. Same sort of incident, different circumstances.
Baku 2017, Riccardo carried too much speed and went for a gap that was always a little qestionable. Verstappen did move to defend quite late on that occasion. The incident then was pretty much a 50-50
Yesterday, Verstappen was on the racing line and in fact barely moved other than to follow the RL to the apex of the corner. Vettel was going for a gap that wasn’t there, was never going to be there and had only been there in the form of something that you might have sneaked a gnats dreams through.
F1oSaurus (@)
15th July 2019, 21:08
@nikkit In Baku Verstappen was weaving all over the place. He counterd every move Ricciardo made by a move of his own. Up until the moment that Ricciardo ended up in the back of Verstappen.
In Silverstone Verstappen barely moved from his defensive line.
Rob
16th July 2019, 19:09
We did see some Baku classic late moving while defending, though. This time around it wasn’t a Red Bull, but rather Leclerc that was doing it. As if he had studied the moves of Verstappen, at several occasions he committed himself to a side only after Verstappen made his move. As Brundle said at one occasion into Stowe “that move was a day late and a dollar short”.
I don’t mind it, to be honest. I was never really a fan of the ‘verstappen-rule’ anyway (only time enforced was in Mexico, btw…when a Ferrari pulled a late one on a Red Bull)
I mean: just look at the wheel to wheel action going through Vale, with Leclerc on the outside getting bumped by Max (not leaving a car’s width, rule infringement #1) when that becomes the inside line onto the straight and Max being forced off track when going on the straight (idem, rule infringement #2 ), only to ultimately regain his position while actually doing most of his accelerating off-track (leaving the track and gaining an advantage, infringement #3). Let’s call it some decent hard racing and if everybody lives to fight another day, let it be dealt with by the drivers. If there is any race-impeding damage or ill intent / malice in the moves, stewards should step in. In my opinion…
alex
15th July 2019, 7:28
Wrong Verstappen did to himself by racing on the limit of an accident, so in the end he got it!! He has nobody to blame except himself, when you are continuously searching the limit sometimes you find it, and there it is a 0 on your scorecard. Will happen more times in the future, he’s touching everybody all the races… So he’s going to get more 0’s. Its not other drivers to blame but himself for his dirty overtakings. He should learn how to cleanly overtake before crying continuosly, he’s annoying blaming other people of his lack of capability to overtake clean like Ricciardo, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Vettel and 90% drivers do. Learn that of go to f2 to learn it. This is where his lack of experience in other smaller categories shows.. If he had learned from f2, world series, or other formulas, he’ll have learned to try clean overtakes and not bumping cars mode overtakes (karting style). He’ll have learned the hard way losing f2 championships… But now he doesnt have that fear because he never fought for a championship so he’s all in for the win and not for the championship. The day he loses a championship because of his accidents he’ll learn to be clean and polite with the other drivers and persons.
drmouse (@drmouse)
15th July 2019, 7:42
Yes, Verstappen drives on the limit and sometimes pushes things too far. The vast majority of the accidents he’s been involved in have been his own fault.
But this one?! He had already passed Vettel and took a steady line into the corner. Seb then outbraked himself and slammed into three back of him. There is no blame on Max’s part for this at all.
GechiChan (@gechichan)
15th July 2019, 8:06
I’m sorry, but this is just stupid: “Verstappen did to himself by racing on the limit of an accident, so in the end he got it!” That’s the dumbest statement I’ve ever heard. He raced Leclerc on the limit for many laps and they both were clean enough to give us a great show without incidents. And with Seb he was very clean, he passed on the outside and held the inside in order to make it stick – he held the inside and braked early in order to make the corner, but he never changed direction under braking.
Drivers / teams / etc are already cautious enough with their racing, we don’t need fans to encoiurage them to be even more reluctant to on track fights. If anything, we need more drivers like Max who race on the limit.
As for VET, he was passed by Gasly on track – the driver that previously had problems overtaking the likes of RAI and NOR – and I think that says it all.
alex
15th July 2019, 17:17
Dumbest or not thats the reality when you race touching limits, that sometimes you find it and crash. As simple as that. Saying that Vettel is to blame and bla bla bla. You can say whatever you want, but when 2 cars collide usually its because the overtaking manouver wasn’t clean. If we make a video of the overtakings done by Verstappen in the last years, you’ll see how many contacts he had with lots of drivers. And when you had crashes/touches with (im sure i will miss more names): Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Sainz jr, Rosberg, Ocon. Well in this quick memory exercise im done i named half of the grid, and im sure im missing lots of more. Do you think Verstappen its clean after touching or crashing with so many drivers??? And his post interviews insulting the same drivers? Who’s to blame 1 driver or 12 drivers???
drmouse (@drmouse)
17th July 2019, 7:43
In this case, the overtaking manoeuvre by Verstappen was already complete. By Vettel’s own admission, he was trying to overtake (he thought Verstappen was going to move to the right, iirc).
So yes, I agree, the problem here was that the overtaking manoeuvre wasn’t clean. However, it was Vettel’s overtaking manoeuvre, not Verstappen’s.
eljueta (@eljueta)
15th July 2019, 8:35
Oh you’re a comedian I see.
Anirudh
15th July 2019, 11:06
There was wheel-to-wheel action between Charles & Max for almost 6-8 laps, fighting each other for every inch of the race track and they both kept it under control. But one move.. I repeat, ONE MOVE and Vettel crashes into Max.
Are you making stand-up comedy or did you watch a completely different race?
Pirla
15th July 2019, 8:43
Vettel is just a spoiled brat, when things don’t go a he wants then it’s temper, temper.
Remember Baku in 2017 when he shunted Lewis on purpose, He did the same yesterday
it was calculated but Max got out of the gravel!!
Chris
15th July 2019, 8:56
And VER cost VET a potential win more than once. Move on.
RB13
15th July 2019, 10:07
Vettel is an embarassment on track. His few remaining supporters display delusion on a MAGA-supporter level.
Before you misread my comment read it again.
Lovely bloke but awful racer and needs to retire and free up that Ferrari seat for someone that can deliver, Danny, Max or if Ferrari are serious about winning a championship, the GOAT himself Lewis.
Glamo
15th July 2019, 11:05
…amazing, every word of what you just said was wrong!
RB13
15th July 2019, 13:25
There’s one now!
Todfod (@todfod)
15th July 2019, 14:05
Seems pretty accurate to me.
Matthew
15th July 2019, 11:53
I have been a fan of Sebastian Vettel for a long time, however after the past couple of races my patience and respect for him has somewhat dwindled. I am not sure if Sunday’s clearly blatant collision with Sebastian was somehow instruction from Ferrari in order to dampen the Red Bull effort (or) if it simply a case of sour grapes at Max Verstappen’s better driving prowess. It is one thing to have good old fashioned duels on the track as this is what we love and this is what fans want, however taking a driver out of the race with such clear intent is quite simply unfair and unsportsmanlike.
Edvaldo
15th July 2019, 16:31
Vettel landed on the best car Red Bull had built until then in 2009, and was very strong on his first race with them. And does anyone remembers how it ended? He clashed with Kubica on the closing laps and got no points, so, it’s nothing new really.
What he got at Red Bull was the perfect storm for him to show his strengths. A fast car that was able to start at the front and pull away. He won his 4 titles doing basically the same thing. A one trick pony, as Irvine said.
At the same spot on the ’17 race he unnecesarily flat spotted his tyres defending from Bottas, and a few laps later the tyres gave up and his race was destroyed.
I always doubted Rosberg’s racecraft, he always seemed clumsy on wheel-to-wheel battles, but Vettel is even worse.
Chris
16th July 2019, 5:44
Exactly the same goes to HAM. He’s driving a “A fast car that was able to start at the front and pull away. He won his 4 (6) titles doing basically the same thing. A one trick pony” and of course other champions. Have a look at this: Bottas is winning races and poles now systematically and it’s not in BOT skills alone, please. This is an eye opener.
Edvaldo
16th July 2019, 13:52
Hamilton’s racecraft is way better than Vettel’s. No doubt about that. Ricciardo, Leclerc and Alonso also.
About the car, obviously. And so does Leclerc. Thats how it is.
Blaize Falconberger (@)
15th July 2019, 19:21
Seb blotted his copy book in my eyes when he crashed into Button at Spa in 2010. He had the faster car, chased Button down, went to pass but closed too fast, lost the car under braking and took them both out… Then blamed Button.
Since then we’ve had brilliance and recklessness behind the wheel in equal measure. The brilliance is becoming less and lass apparent at time ticks on. At least this weekend he accepted that it was his fault. That, from Seb, is progress.
BoRa (@bnwllc3)
16th July 2019, 7:16
Vettel has always been the same. Being a fast driver does not mean you are the fastest in all circumstances. He knows better than anybody how to win without getting involved any incidents, getting close anybody. But, racing wheel to wheel has never been one of his strengths. Same as some of old drivers.
I think it is because of generation difference, look back at recent history. Drivers like Montoya tried some hard wheel to wheel racing, but, the others are not interested in this kind of racing and he has been eliminated. And look at the new generation, they played racing games by crashing into each other, pushing each other off the track by touching each other, etc. until this time and they became fearless of any contact in real life. F1 becomes more a physical war than mental one, and Vettel-like old fashioned drivers are not belong to this new era and will be eliminated. Drivers like Alonso, Hamilton, who can transform theirselves into racing machines, can keep up with this new guys and give us some good racing to watch.
Dave
4th November 2020, 12:08
Karma for Austria