Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has taken aim at Lewis Hamilton, following the Mercedes driver’s opening lap crash at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Starting from third, behind Max Verstappen and George Russell, Hamilton tried to swoop around both drivers at the first corner, to make the most of his Soft compound tyres.
Instead, Hamilton left Russell with no room which resulted in the two Mercedes drivers colliding, although it was the seven-time World Champion who came off worst.
Hamilton spun into the gravel trap and lost a wheel in the process, whilst Russell managed to join the back of the field after also spinning; albeit, in the runoff area rather than in the gravel.
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Both drivers initially blamed each other; however, Hamilton later accepted “full responsibility” after watching a replay of the crash, which was deemed as a racing incident by the stewards.
“I have seen the replay of the mishap and I take full responsibility. I apologise to the team and George,” Hamilton wrote on social media.
Marko has since taken aim at Hamilton for admitting to his error, with the Austrian highlighting how he’s “finally” taking responsibility for his mistakes.
“He has finally started to admit the mistakes he makes,” Marko told OE24.
Hamilton crashing at the Lusail International Circuit actually benefited Red Bull massively, as it meant he didn’t further reduce his deficit to Sergio Perez in the Drivers’ Championship.
Perez sits just 30 points ahead of Hamilton in the fight for second in the standings, which has only become a duel because of the Mexican’s woeful form.
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Checo has scored just five points across the last three races, with this weekend’s United States Grand Prix also expected to be a challenging one for him, as it consists of a sprint race.
He’s often struggled when the track conditions have varied, whether that be due to the weather or a change in temperature.
The Circuit of the Americas has historically been a strong venue for Hamilton, putting Perez under even more pressure to get the most out of his superior car, which should be challenging for at least a podium.