Hamilton blames Verstappen for Ocon crash

Lewis Hamilton said that Max Verstappen was 60% to blame for the collision with Esteban Ocon that cost the Red Bull man victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Hamilton was the main beneficiary as he skirted through the crash scene to take the win, but said Verstappen should have not got involved with the Force India.

Ocon emerged from a pitstop behind Verstappen as the Red Bull was cruising to a likely win, but the Frenchman was on fresher, and faster tyres and was soon circulating under the Dutchman's gearbox.

After asking Force India if he could unlap himself, Ocon pulled ahead of Verstappen at turn one, with an inside line down to turn two, only for Verstappen to shut the door, assuming the backmarker would not try to pass him, causing contact and a spin for both.

Verstappen angrily confronted Ocon afterwards, shoving him in the weighing room to earn a sanction from the FIA, but Hamilton pointed out that he could have been much smarter.

"You can never assume that the person is not up your inside because he's a backmarker and he's going to back off," Hamilton said of the incident.

Fly-on-the-wall time... #BrazilGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/n7G2q2OQTY — Formula 1 (@F1) November 11, 2018

"You've got to assume, you've got to be acknowledge the fact that he may be there so I'm going to leave extra space. Because actually he's in a different race to me. That's my opinion about it.

"So from my seat it felt like it wasn't 100 percent one side. More like maybe it's 60-40."

Hamilton added: "Ultimately when you're in Ocon's position you've got nothing to lose.

"You want to get through. You've got much quicker tyres. You're trapped if you got much quicker tyres and the guy in front it's not pushing that out, which Max wasn't he was saving his tyres. So he's cruising, holding him up. You're going to go for it try and get by and move yourself forwards.

"And I felt like it was fair game for him to try to un-lap himself. Of course you don't want to cause an incident. But in those scenarios you give each other space. It's as simple as that. It's so simple to give each other space."

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