Max Verstappen’s bold move on Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix should have been remembered as hard racing. Instead, it turned into a post-race FIA investigation—one that Hamilton didn’t even bother showing up for.
On Lap 30, the Red Bull driver dived down the inside at Turn 4 while battling Hamilton for 11th place. The Ferrari man ran wide but there was no contact and no complaint from either driver. Red Bull even joked on social media that Hamilton had been “scared” off the track.
Yet, the FIA announced a post-race investigation. Hamilton waived his right to attend, leaving Verstappen and Red Bull to face the stewards. In the end, the verdict was simple: no action. The move was “ambitious” but within the rules.
For Verstappen, the problem wasn’t the decision but the process.
“I actually think it’s a shame I have to go back to the stewards after the race. Just analyse it during the race,” he told Viaplay.
“I put my nose right next to him, and he was shocked. He drove off the track.”
The reigning World Champion also criticized F1’s increasingly complex rulebook: “The situation is always unclear. It’s just strange that we had to go to the stewards when there wasn’t even any contact. The problem is that there are so many rules now.”
Hamilton, meanwhile, has stayed silent—his absence from the hearing speaking volumes about how little he cared for the matter.
In the end, the incident summed up F1’s ongoing debate: is the FIA stifling hard racing with too much regulation, or simply doing its job to ensure fairness?
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Sometimes, even a non-event can create the loudest headlines.
