Verstappen, Ocon clash on and off track at Brazilian GP

Sao Paulo, November 12 

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Dutch driver Max Verstappen was accused of trying to punch French rival Esteban Ocon after a controversial clash at the Brazilian Grand Prix which was won by five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull star Verstappen was seen on TV pushing Force India’s Ocon three times and accused of threatening to hit him, after the pair had collided on track on Sunday.

The collision on lap 44 of the 71-lap race at Interlagos’ famed Senna S curves cost Verstappen the race and he had to settle for second place.

The livid Dutchman, 21, had earlier said he did not see the Frenchman in the paddock after the race, but made no effort to avoid him in the drivers’ weighing room where he walked straight at him.

“We were at the scales room,” said Ocon. 

“He wanted to punch me. He pushed me and he was wanting to be violent. It was not professional.” 

Ocon added that his rivalry with Verstappen “goes back a few years” and said he “has always been the same”.

“I was behind Max for two laps,” Ocon said. “On the first lap, I was a lot faster and, on the second lap, I was a lot faster. The rules say you are allowed to un-lap yourself so that’s what I did. I’m used to the fights with Max. He’s always been the same. It goes back a few years.”

Verstappen swore so much on team radio that his comments bleeped out after he described Ocon as an “idiot”.

Ocon was given a 10-second stop-go penalty by the race stewards for causing the collision. A video clip of the post-race incident went viral soon afterwards but Verstappen said he had no regrets.

“He came out of the pit lane and he had the right to overtake, but the level of risk he was taking, it was not right,” he said. — AFP