Max Verstappen’s phone blew up with ‘a hundred messages’ following Lewis Hamilton’s costly error

After Lewis Hamilton locked up on turn at the 2021 Azerbaijan GP, Max Verstappen's phone went absolutely ballistic with messages.

Max Verstappen’s phone blew up with ‘a hundred messages’ following Lewis Hamilton’s costly error

Lewis Hamilton (L) | Max Verstappen (R)

One of the most crucial moments in the 2021 title battle, between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, happened quite early on. This came at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. At that point, Verstappen was leading the championship by a slim margin of just 4 points. By lap 19, he was also leading the race. But then, on lap 41, he suffered a left-rear tire failure – taking him out of the race.

This was a great opportunity for Hamilton to win the race, as he would go up against Sergio Perez. At the very least, if he kept it ‘clean’, he would gain a substantial lead over Verstappen. But it wasn’t meant to be for the Briton. On the lap 50 race restart, Hamilton first jumped Perez on the start but then locked up going into turn one. At the end of the day, he finished last out of all the remaining runners. As Verstappen eventually won the championship by only 7 points, this mistake was crucial.

https://youtu.be/QbObB81Rujg

At the time, the Dutchman received a ‘hundred messages’ following Hamilton’s mistake. Speaking on the Talking Bull podcast back in 2022, he explained: “I hear the restart [happening]. At one point I hear the guys brake and I could hear [a screeching noise, from the lockup], and then everyone’s like, ‘Yeah!'” he’s referring to Hamilton locking up, of course.

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Verstappen added: “I think Gemma [Lusty, Red Bull’s press officer] was with me, and the phone was like [buzzing], like a hundred messages! I said, ‘What happened? What happened?’ And then you [Perez] were back in the lead again.” This was Perez’s first victory in Red Bull colors, and his only one in 2021. And while the Dutchman didn’t take home any points that weekend – he would’ve been grateful that he avoided certain disaster.

Read More: Will Max Verstappen crash with Sergio Perez in Baku like he did with Daniel Ricciardo in 2018?

Is a similar day as Baku 2021 in store for Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez?

Sergio Perez (L) and Max Verstappen (R)
Sergio Perez (L) and Max Verstappen (R)

As the Azerbaijan Grand Prix approaches, this time with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez being the two main contenders, many would hope for a similar outing for the championship top two. Certainly, Lewis Hamilton would, as it would allow him to fight for the win. It would certainly be good from a neutral’s perspective as well, and considering the close competition between Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Mercedes, it’s hard to say who could come out on top.

Considering some past, but recent moments between the Red Bull teammates, there is the distinct possibility of tensions boiling over. After all, they’re likely to be the ones competing for the win in Azerbaijan. Though close that will be, only time will tell. It’s possible that Verstappen will have the measure of his teammate, as he mostly has had in the past. But at the same time, Perez getting one over the Dutchman cannot be ruled out. It’s setting up to be an exciting Grand Prix.

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