Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button blame Max Verstappen after Lewis Hamilton incident | F1 | sport

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Max Verstappen has been accused of being “too long” as he almost crashed with Lewis Hamilton in the first corner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Mercedes star Hamilton was the fastest to come out of the blocks, overtaking his title rival on pole position.

Verstappen looked to regain the lead by stopping late to dive inside.

The move forced Hamilton off the track as the pair approached a coat of paint to collide.

When the seven-time world champion Hamilton returned to the track, he was a second ahead of Verstappen at the head of the field.

Verstappen stormed over his team’s radio and demanded that first place be returned to him.

The FIA ​​disagreed with the Dutchman’s complaints and blamed them on a racing incident.

Button, who was Hamilton’s McLaren teammate, backed his fellow Briton.

He said: “It was a very late lunge but it was always going to happen, Lewis knew it was coming.

“He pushed Lewis off the track – I guess – but he stayed on the track. I’m having a hard time understanding the rules right now because obviously in Brazil there was no penalty, but they both drove off the track. Max stayed on the track this time. “

Rosberg, who beat Hamilton for the 2016 world title when they were teammates with Mercedes, added: “So difficult. I think that’s right what they did. Max was a little too long and too aggressive. , forcing Lewis to come out too hard, even though he was entitled to the corner there.

“So I would also say that Lewis did not give back everything he won.”

And follow expert Damon Hill made it a treble of experts who were in the Hamilton area.

“You have to say Lewis had to get out of the way because otherwise he was going to collide with Max, who made a very uncompromising late lunge, left no room for Lewis to compromise and had to leave the track “, he added. he explained.

“But I have to say I’m surprised they didn’t say give up the place.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “We’re a little shocked because apparently Lewis has returned his advantage, which we haven’t seen yet …

“It’s a total lack of consistency.

“We are focused on the race and there is still a long way to go.”

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