Mercedes hold no remorse over Max Verstappen’s Silverstone crash, says Toto Wolff

Verstappen’s British Grand Prix was ended by a collision with title rival Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap

Max Verstappen crashed at Silverstone (Getty Images)

Toto Wolff has said that Mercedes feel no “remorse” over the crash that ended Max Verstappen’s 2021 British Grand Prix on the opening lap of the race last July.

Having begun on pole, Verstappen and title rival Lewis Hamilton contested a competitive opening few corners of the Mercedes driver’s home race.

Hamilton ran into the Dutch driver’s Red Bull on the ninth corner, sending Verstappen spinning sideways on to the gravel and in to the tyre wall alongside the track.

The race was paused for 15 minutes while Verstappen’s car was removed, with the eventual 2021 Drivers’ Championship winner taken to hospital.

The stewards determined Hamilton to be predominantly at fault for the incident, handing him a ten-second time penalty, which the British driver overcame to take victory.

Verstappen was discharged later that evening with no serious injuries, and Mercedes team principal Wolff believes that there was no need for his team or their driver to feel remorseful after the crash - though he understands why the Dutchman might have taken umbrage at Mercedes’ celebration of victory.

“There wasn’t a lot of feeling of remorse on our side, because Lewis has given up corners much more often before where he shouldn’t have,” Wolff explained to Sky Sports.

“If you’re sitting in the hospital shaken by a big impact, you’re not going to understand that the other team is cheering for their driver.

“But it was [Lewis Hamilton’s] home race, a massive swing to our advantage in terms of points, and we knew that Max was OK.”

Hamilton’s win narrowed Verstappen’s lead in the chase for the world title to eight points.

The Red Bull driver would eventually secure his first Formula 1 crown with a controversial victory at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, passing Hamilton on the last lap to take the race and the overall triumph after a gripping title rivalry.