Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll under investigation after ‘careless’ crash

By Matt Morlidge

Last Updated: 23/10/20 5:29pm

Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll collide during Practice Two ahead of the Portuguese GP but who is to blame?

Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll have been summoned to Portuguese GP stewards after a crash described as “unnecessary”, “ridiculous” and “careless” in Practice Two at Portimao.

The two drivers had a heavy collision at Turn One of F1’s newest circuit after Verstappen attempted to pass Stroll up the inside, but as both of them were starting flying laps, neither backed out of the corner.

Stroll’s Racing Point spun off the circuit, leading to a red flag, while Verstappen sustained damage to his Red Bull. The incident is under investigation, with a verdict expected on Friday evening.

“Is this guy blind? What the **** is wrong with him?” said a seething Verstappen on team radio after the contact.

He later admitted he believed Stroll, who he had let past towards the end of the previous lap, was going to back out of the corner.

“I was so surprised,” he said. “He just turned in. I was coming up to him! I don’t know where I have to go, I was starting my lap and he had just finished his lap.

“It’s Practice Two and it’s just a shame that we touched and it was just very unnecessary. It’s just silly.”

Max Verstappen’s verdict on that Lance Stroll crash during Practice Two ahead of the Portuguese GP.

Red Bull’s Christian Horner, while adamant that Verstappen shouldn’t receive a penalty as he was on the inside, told Sky F1 he believed the incident was “50-50”.

“If I’m absolutely honest, you can look at it and say both had a role to play,” he stated. “Max has assumed Lance was going to back out, while Lance may not have even been aware Max was there.”

But an angry Racing Point boss Otmar Szafnauer laid the blame solely on the Dutchman.

“I think Max didn’t realise we were doing two quick laps there and shouldn’t have been where he was,” he told Sky F1 on the pit-wall.

“Lance doesn’t see him there. I haven’t talked to him yet, but had he known he was there he wouldn’t have turned in.

“It’s just ridiculous. For what gain?

“I can assure you, 100 per cent, that Max knew Lance was there. There’s no way he doesn’t know Lance was there. But Lance doesn’t know Max was there. It’s pretty simple for me.”

Who was to blame for Max-Stroll crash? F1 reaction

Christian Horner, Red Bull boss”You’ve got to go back to the previous lap. Lance has got to that last corner, Max has let him go because he wants to take a tow and he’s assuming that Lance was finishing a lap. So he let him past, tucked up behind him, taking the advantage of the tow, assuming he’s going to back out because he knows he’s there and [Max] is up the inside.

“Obviously Lance for whatever reason hasn’t seen him, has committed to the corner and turned in. Both of them were expecting the other to back off.

“But if that were a race, Max would have been deemed to be up the inside so therefore the car on the outside should have given way.

“If I’m absolutely honest, you can look at it and say both had a role to play. Max has assumed Lance was going to back out, while Lance may not have even been aware Max was there.

“Both sides are going to argue their case but you probably have to say it’s a 50-50 and that’s it.”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner reacts to that Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll crash during Practice Two.

Sky F1’s Johnny Herbert”To me, Max was already compromised because he was off-line, he was in the middle of the track. So his lap is going to be destroyed anyway.

“I don’t see why Lance had to pull out of it. He’s more than right to stick to his racing line because he was on a fast lap as well.

“So for me, Max should have pulled out sooner.”

Sky F1’s Paul Di Resta”I would probably say Stroll should have given Max a little bit more space on the inside – because there wasn’t a car width there. But in a practice session, I don’t know how the stewards will look at that.

“In a race, I don’t think there would be a penalty on Max’s side there.”

Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson”I think it was 50-50, it was a little bit careless from both drivers,” says Anthony Davidson.

“I think it was an assumption from Max that he was going to be let by, and then Lance – knowing the car was there – turning in.”

“But in a practice session, both parties have to take more care. It’s not a race. At the end of the day, what’s the big deal in Max backing out of it, or Lance letting him through. Both of them have that responsibility.”