Lewis Hamilton has never driven as "aggressively" before - Damon Hill

Hamilton and Verstappen moments before the collision — Photo: © LAT Images

British Grand Prix

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Hamilton has never driven as "aggressively" before - Hill

Hamilton was blamed for the first lap crash with Verstappen at the British GP

Ewan Gale

Tuesday 20 July 2021 13:40

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill claims he has never seen Lewis Hamilton drive as "aggressively" as he did during the first lap of the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton dramatically collided with championship rival Max Verstappen at Copse, sending the Red Bull spearing into the barriers at 150mph.

It was the first time in 10 races this year the pair had collided, sparking a war of words in the aftermath with Red Bull directing barbed comments toward the British driver and his Mercedes team.

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On the incident, Hill told F1 Nation: "I think it was inevitable at some point there was going to be some coming together of the two. It was so aggressive.

"I have never seen Lewis drive that aggressively. I am racking my brains to think of a time.

"The only time I can come up with is Barcelona with Nico Rosberg. It was full-on attack mode and I do wonder whether it was something to do with what had happened the previous day during the sprint where he sort of lost pole position."

Hamilton and Verstappen "incredibly uncompromising"

Hamilton and Verstappen had initially made minor contact at Abbey before banging wheels down the Wellington Straight ahead of the clash at Silverstone.

The two drivers had been close to contact at multiple points through the season and pointing to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Hill added: "I saw Lewis trying to go around the outside at Imola and it was wet, he was never going to get away with that.

"All these guys have got a perspective, they presume the other driver should give way.

"They have this attitude [where they think] that 'They have to give way because I am better than he is'. If you get two people who think like that, you are never going to get them around the corner together.

"Actually, Lewis is very lucky he didn't lose his front wing and get a puncture and all the rest of it, on top of his 10-second penalty which is something that has been contentious."

Hill claims the incident is one of those that has divided opinion as to which driver was in the wrong.

"I have had more calls and contact with my racing friends and friends of mine who have got an opinion on this, I cannot find... it is 50/50 on either side at the moment," said Hill.

"There is not a clear answer whether it was Lewis who got a penalty or whether Max should have got a penalty.

"They were both incredibly uncompromising and when you put two very, very uncompromising people into a 180mph corner then something is going to happen and it did."