Max Verstappen’s daring move on Lewis Hamilton during the Hungarian Grand Prix has been reviewed by the stewards, who decided not to issue any penalty. The high-speed overtake took place at Turn 4 after Verstappen switched to hard tyres and began slicing through the field. Despite the aggressive nature of the maneuver, it was concluded that Verstappen didn’t push Hamilton off the track, leading officials to take no disciplinary action.
Verstappen had been recovering positions after his pit stop and eventually caught up with Hamilton, who was trailing a group that included Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman, and Isack Hadjar. Verstappen followed Hamilton for several laps before making his move into the fast left-hander of Turn 4. As he dived down the inside, Hamilton left the track and cut across the run-off area. The incident was flagged for review but was only assessed after the race had ended.
Notably, Hamilton did not attend the post-race stewards’ hearing. According to the officials’ report, Ferrari representatives acknowledged that Hamilton had voluntarily steered off track to avoid any collision. Verstappen, on his part, maintained that he had full control of his car and could have left Hamilton more space if needed—but since Hamilton had already veered off, Verstappen used the full width of the circuit on exit.
The stewards concluded that no contact had occurred and that Verstappen’s maneuver didn’t breach any rules, even if it was bold in execution. They noted that Hamilton’s decision not to fight to stay on track played a role in their judgment. Ultimately, they found that the pass did not constitute “forcing another car off” and deemed it fair racing, thus ending the matter without further consequence.
After the race, Verstappen downplayed the situation, saying it wasn’t worth all the fuss. He expressed confusion over the need for an investigation since the two cars never touched. Pointing out Hamilton’s absence from the stewards’ review, Verstappen suggested that Hamilton didn’t see the incident as significant either. He wrapped up by stating that both drivers had underwhelming weekends overall, and the real focus should be on improving performance rather than dwelling on one incident.
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