MAXIMUM ATTACK

The F1 title fight between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has ignited the sport in 2021 ...but theirs is not the only example of an F1 rivalry that's boiled over into sheer melodrama

- Stuart Johnston

The big difference between the two major on-track clashes involving Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton this year was simple, old-fashioned speed. At Silverstone's flat-out Copse Corner - where Lewis made a dive down the inside that sent Max Verstappen into the barriers and left him lucky to escape serious injury - the mid-corner speed is over 300 km/h. At the Monza chicane, where another argy-bargy saw the controversial sausage kerbs flip the Red Bull on top of the Mercedes, the contact speed was only in the region of 20 km/h.

From the title-challenge perspective, Max undoubtedly came off worst following both incidents. In Lewis' home Grand Prix, the stewards gave the Brit a 10-second penalty. It still enabled him to comfortably win the race, though, as he was already in the lead and had by far the fastest car on the track. Post-Monza, with both cars unable to continue, Max was docked three grid positions for the following race at Sochi. Only a late-race downpour in Russia enabled him to employ exceptional wet-weather skills to rescue a second place, otherwise, he was destined for a spot outside the top six.

As you're reading this, chances are you will already have formed heated opinions about what transpired. If you are a Max fan, you might regard the Copse clash as potentially life-threatening owing to the super high approach speed and lack of circumspection regarding Lewis' lunge.

If you're in Lewis' camp, you probably feel the same way about the Monza entanglement. Max's overtaking attempt was optimistic, to say the least, and his spinning rear wheel landed perilously close to the Brit's helmeted head after the Red Bull launched on top of the Mercedes roll hoop.