Lewis Hamilton has strongly defended himself after Max Verstappen blamed him for their collision at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The clash, which occurred on lap 63, saw Verstappen’s car lifted into the air after hitting Hamilton’s front right tire, ultimately derailing his podium hopes and leaving him in fifth place.

Verstappen criticized Hamilton for allegedly causing the incident by “keeping turning to the right.” However, Hamilton has refuted these claims, asserting that the collision was a racing incident and there will “always be hostility” from Verstappen’s side.

“I moved over to defend after we passed a backmarker, and then Max appeared,” Hamilton explained. “I left enough room on the inside, but Max locked up and was on a different trajectory. It felt like a racing incident. Mistakes happen, so I don’t believe there should be any hostility, though it seems there always will be from his side.”

Hamilton’s comments came after Verstappen, visibly frustrated, vented about the collision and criticized Red Bull’s strategy throughout the race. Verstappen had attempted to overtake Hamilton into turn one but ended up spinning off course due to the contact.

Despite the tension, Hamilton praised the result for McLaren, who achieved their first one-two finish since 2021 with Oscar Piastri’s maiden GP victory. McLaren’s success closed the gap on Red Bull, with Norris finishing second and Hamilton securing third place.

The incident has sparked division among Formula 1 fans, with some supporting Hamilton and others criticizing the McLaren driver for the collision. The debate over the crash continues as the season progresses, with both Hamilton and Verstappen likely to carry the impact of this encounter into future races.