The British racer escaped serious injury thanks to the halo device but did take an impact from the wheel of his rival’s car. Sir Lewis Hamilton has explained that he has suffered tightness and from headaches since the incident at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix which saw Max Verstappen’s car fly over his own.
A coming-together, which race stewards deemed the Red Bull racer to be at fault for, left both drivers out of the race which Daniel Ricciardo went on to win. While Hamilton has already acknowledged he could have been far worse-off if not for the halo device in his car, he didn’t get off entirely injury-free after Verstappen’s wheel made contact with the Mercedes man’s helmet and he has been suffering with tightness and headaches since then.
And he’s set to see a specialist to ensure he’s fit for action at the Russian Grand Prix, which takes place on 26 September. “His rear wheel landed on my head,” he said, per PlanetF1. “I think the rear wheel landed on it, the Halo, and I think the most cambered part of the inside of the tyre landed on my head. “I think I’m just going to be travelling these next days, but I probably will need to get to see a specialist just to make sure I’m good for the next race, because it’s getting tighter and tighter. But I’ll live.”
After the race, Hamilton questioned Verstappen walking off without checking to see if his rival was alright, with the Dutch driver explaining he saw Hamilton trying to reverse out of the dirt and get back into the race immediately. Pressed on why he tried to resume driving after the collision, Hamilton explained that he was still “in race mode” and hadn’t processed the incident entirely, with his focus on not losing ground in the championship.
“Looking back at the footage, it obviously happened incredibly quick,” he added. “And in the car, all I can think of is getting going and how many positions I’m losing. I’m still just in race mode. It’s just like, ‘How can I get going again?’, and I’m sitting there in a little bit of pain, but just like, ‘Come on, let’s go’.
“Unfortunately, the car wouldn’t move.” Verstappen, who has been penalised three grid places for the race in Sochi as a result of the occurrence at Monza, leads the drivers’ standings by five points, with reigning champion Hamilton second.
