Monaco GP Qualifying: Verstappen Anticipates Penalty for Hamilton
Max Verstappen has expressed his belief that Lewis Hamilton could face a grid penalty following an incident during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix. In Q1, Verstappen was impeded by Hamilton’s Ferrari while approaching the Massenet corner, forcing the Red Bull driver to abort his lap.
Hamilton’s team relayed incorrect information, indicating that Verstappen was slowing down, thus prompting Hamilton to accelerate. As a result of this obstruction, both drivers and their respective teams were summoned by the FIA stewards immediately after qualifying. Verstappen, who qualified sixth, is hopeful that this incident will result in a grid drop for Hamilton, who secured fifth position.
“I expect a penalty based on past occurrences,” Verstappen stated. “While the team’s communication was at fault, it was not Lewis’ intention to impede me.”
Verstappen noted that he spoke to Hamilton post-incident and clarified that the 40-year-old driver wasn’t to blame. "At high speed, seeing a car block you is not ideal. The confusion was due to team radio errors," he explained.
Red Bull’s Struggles on Monaco’s Bumpy Circuit
During qualifying, Verstappen struggled with grip, finishing seven tenths behind pole-sitter Lando Norris of McLaren. Although Red Bull had made progress in addressing understeer issues seen in practice, Verstappen lamented a lack of overall grip on the challenging Monaco street circuit.
“The main issue was in the low-speed mechanical grip corners. I couldn’t find more lap time compared to practice,” he remarked, reflecting on the difficulties of navigating the bumpy track. “The car has always struggled in low-speed corners, which was evident during qualifying.”
With these issues persisting, Verstappen acknowledged that competing for pole was out of reach. "As soon as we went out in qualifying, I knew we weren’t in that fight,” he concluded.
Key Takeaways:
- Verstappen expects a penalty for Hamilton due to an obstruction during Q1.
- Both drivers were summoned by the FIA stewards after the incident.
- Red Bull continues to face challenges on the bumpy Monaco circuit, hindering Verstappen’s qualifying performance.
