Max Verstappen Predicts Lewis Hamilton Penalty at Monaco GP

Max Verstappen is anticipating that Lewis Hamilton will receive a grid penalty following the events during Formula 1 qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix. The incident occurred in Q1 when Verstappen approached the Massenet corner at speed and found Hamilton’s Ferrari in his path.

Verstappen had to abort his fast lap. Hamilton had been informed that Verstappen was behind, but a communication error from his race engineer caused Hamilton to stray onto the racing line just as Verstappen was coming up quickly.

Both drivers, along with representatives from Red Bull and Ferrari, met with FIA race stewards shortly after qualifying ended. Verstappen, who qualified sixth, one position behind Hamilton, believes penalties are commonly enforced for such incidents at Monaco, given the narrow track and limited visibility.

When asked if Hamilton would be penalized, Verstappen replied, “If you look at the history of things, yes.” He added that these mistakes usually stem from team errors, as drivers rely heavily on engineers for information about nearby cars during blind corners.

Verstappen made it clear he did not hold Hamilton personally responsible for the near collision. After qualifying, he spoke briefly with Hamilton, saying, “That’s the team’s mistake.” Hamilton, the seven-time champion, is also the focus of the new Hamilton F1 movie, which highlights his career and challenges.

Hamilton had been told by his engineer that Verstappen was going slowly, when in reality, Verstappen was pushing on a flying lap. Verstappen described being blocked through a fast section of the track as “not nice.”

Hamilton, the seven-time champion, ended qualifying fifth, just ahead of Verstappen. Should the stewards issue a penalty to Hamilton, Verstappen would move up a place on the starting grid for the Grand Prix.

On the performance front, Verstappen faced difficulties with the Red Bull RB21 during qualifying, finishing seven tenths of a second behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, who took pole position. Verstappen identified low-speed grip as the main issue on Monaco’s twisty streets.

He noted that poor handling over kerbs and through cambered corners prevented him from improving significantly during the session. “Mainly the middle sector, all the low-speed mechanical grip corners, we just didn’t have it,” Verstappen stated.

The conditions exposed a known weakness of the Red Bull car at low speeds, a problem that has appeared in previous seasons. Despite some progress in Friday’s practice sessions, qualifying proved tough, as Red Bull sought to manage a clean weekend in Monaco.

Verstappen explained, “Every time I had to ride a kerb or drop a wheel in a cambered corner it just didn’t grip up and that has been our issue.” With cars separated by fractions of a second, even a small lack of confidence or balance was costly.

Verstappen realized early in Q1 that Red Bull would not contend for pole position this time. The Monaco Grand Prix remains one of the most challenging circuits for drivers and teams, where a single error or miscommunication can have significant consequences.

The stewards’ decision on Hamilton’s potential penalty could reshuffle the starting grid, adding intrigue ahead of Sunday’s race. Verstappen and Red Bull will look to capitalize on any opportunity amidst fierce competition and difficult track conditions, with fans eagerly watching for developments before lights out.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.