Max Verstappen has disclosed that he continues to experience lasting repercussions from his crash at Silverstone in 2021.
Max Verstappen has revealed he suffered some lingering side effects from his huge Silverstone crash in 2021.
In the opening lap of the 2021 British Grand Prix, Verstappen experienced a forceful collision with Lewis Hamilton, resulting in a high-speed sideways throw into the tyre barriers. This incident became a significant moment in the intense title battle of that season.
Max Verstappen struggled with visibility problems after Silverstone 2021
Verstappen and Hamilton, racing neck and neck through Copse, collided, causing the Red Bull driver to spin off and crash forcefully into the tyre barriers.
The Dutch driver’s moans of pain and initial difficulty breathing could be heard over the team radio after experiencing a 51G sideways impact. Eventually regaining enough strength, he managed to exit the cockpit and was then transported to the hospital for precautionary examinations, all while the race carried on.
However, despite Verstappen’s return to racing in the subsequent race without any apparent issues throughout the season, the Dutch driver has disclosed that he experienced physical consequences as a result of the magnitude of the collision.
Verstappen recently shared with Red Bulletin, a Red Bull publication, the significant impact the effects had on him during the 2021 United States Grand Prix. Despite the challenging circumstances, this race stood out as one of his most remarkable triumphs of the season, as he skillfully fended off Hamilton’s relentless pursuit to secure the win.
“Since my Silverstone crash, I’ve struggled with visibility problems, especially on undulating circuits or those with lots of advertising boards on the side of the track,” he said.
“In this race [Austin 2021], I wasn’t just fighting against Lewis, but also against blurred images.
“It was like driving a speedboat at 300 km/h! I’ve never said this before, but it was so bad for a few laps that I seriously considered turning the car off.
“The only thing that helped was to concentrate on my breathing with Lewis breathing down my neck. An important win that I desperately needed in the championship fight.”
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Three years ago this week, a crash occurred that drastically transformed the competitive relationship between Red Bull and Mercedes from a tense championship battle to a full-blown hostility. The Milton Keynes-based team reacted furiously to Mercedes’ celebration of Hamilton’s victory later that day.
Despite receiving a time penalty for being primarily responsible for the crash, Hamilton managed to triumph in the race and make significant strides in the championship standings, thanks to Verstappen’s absence.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner expressed strong anger, stating to Formula1.com that Lewis had dangerously placed a wheel on the inside of one of the fastest corners in the world championship. Horner emphasized that Lewis, being an experienced driver on this circuit, should know better than to attempt such a move. Horner also expressed gratitude that no drivers were seriously injured or worse as a result.
During an interview with Channel 4, Horner criticized Hamilton’s maneuver at Copse, describing it as a “desperate” move. He further stated that attempting to pass on the inside at Copse, which is known as one of the fastest corners globally, was both reckless and unsportsmanlike.
Max was involved in a significant accident, totaling 51G. We are incredibly grateful that he walked away from it. This is undoubtedly the most positive thing that has happened today. We are relieved to see him, as he is currently at the medical center. He entered the center unassisted and is undergoing a 30-minute precautionary check. Thus far, everything seems to be going well.
“He was incredibly exhausted,” he remarked. “It’s such a huge relief to witness him escaping that corner, considering it’s one of the fastest on the schedule. It was completely inappropriate to insert a wheel inside in that manner.”
Later in the same year, Horner disclosed that Verstappen had experienced a momentary loss of consciousness due to the impact.
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