The dramatic collision between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell left the podium trio shocked in the post-race cooldown room following the F1 Qatar Grand Prix.
As the lights went out in Lusail, Lewis Hamilton, on soft tires, surged ahead with a brilliant start from the racing line, outpacing George Russell, who started on medium tires from the second position.
Hamilton, with his sights set on both Russell and pole-sitter Max Verstappen, attempted a daring manoeuvre around the outside.
However, the attempt turned disastrous as the left-front of Russell’s car collided with the right-rear of Hamilton’s, resulting in a catastrophic impact.
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The collision had immediate consequences as Hamilton’s tire was torn from the rim, forcing him into an early retirement from the race.
Russell, despite the spin caused by the collision, managed to continue after a pit stop for necessary repairs.
The stewards also initiated an investigation into Hamilton’s actions as he crossed the track while the Safety Car was deployed, a violation of the regulations.
In a post-race tweet, Hamilton took full responsibility for the incident, marking his first first-lap Did Not Finish (DNF) since the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix.
The shocking clash between the two Mercedes drivers left everyone in awe, including race winner Max Verstappen and McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Hamilton’s admission of guilt didn’t go unnoticed by his fellow competitors.
Norris commented on the incident, saying, “George couldn’t do anything.” Piastri sought clarification, asking, “Who caused it, at the start?”
Verstappen weighed in, stating, “Lewis turned in too much.”
Norris reiterated, “George couldn’t have done anything else.”
Piastri, still trying to grasp the magnitude of the collision, responded, “What? Was it Lewis and George that crashed?” Norris affirmed, “Yeah.”
Piastri’s reaction was a mix of amazement and gratitude, exclaiming, “Ha! Wow.
“Thank you, Mercedes.” Norris added with a wry smile, “Yeah, it made our lives a lot easier, huh?
“George was quite quick.” Verstappen, with a touch of humour, summed it up, saying, “You know what they call that?
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“The law of the jungle.”
Despite the victorious moment, Verstappen, feeling the weight of the race, playfully teased Norris about the winner’s trophy.
He joked, “Can you take it?” Norris, in good spirits, responded, “The trophy? I’ll break it if you want!”