Max Verstappen says he expects a grid-drop penalty will be handed to Lewis Hamilton at the F1 2025 Monaco GP after the seven-time world champion got in the way of the Red Bull star at the Circuit de Monaco.
The moment happened when the Dutchman was starting a push lap in Q1 in Monte Carlo, but found two cars going slowly on the run up to Turn 3 as Hamilton’s Ferrari was joined by an Aston Martin, although the latter moved in time.
The Brit, however, failed to step aside and went slower on the racing line, ultimately impeding the four-time world champion behind after he received mixed messages from his engineer.
Riccardo Adami had told the 105-time Grand Prix winner that the approaching Red Bull was going slow. Consequently, Hamilton moved back to the racing line but got in the way, and whilst Verstappen concedes it wasn’t his fault, he says he expects a penalty for the 2025 Monaco GP.
“At the time, you see the car blocking you and when you are there at high speed, it’s not nice,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. “I saw the team told him I was driving slow when I was clearly driving fast, so it’s not Lewis’ fault.
“I quickly chatted to Lewis about it. It’s very simple but it can’t happen. But that’s the team’s mistake.
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“If you look at the history of things yes. But it’s more the team’s fault. But normally in qualifying they are quite strict on these things.”
Verstappen knew Red Bull had no chance of pole at 2025 Monaco GP
Verstappen will be looking for a penalty for the Ferrari driver to move up him one spot in the order, after Hamilton out-qualified him by going fourth in Saturday’s session on May 24.
However, even if he does get up the order then the Dutchman suggests Red Bull do not have the pace to contend with the McLarens ahead and Charles Leclerc by saying he knew they were not in pole as soon as he went out for qualifying.
“Mainly the middle sector,” Verstappen added, of where he lost time. “All the low-speed mechanical grip corners, we didn’t have it.
“I couldn’t find more lap time compared to practice. Every time I had to ride a kerb or drop a wheel in a cambered corner, it didn’t grip up. As soon as we went out in qualifying, and I saw the lap time progression, I knew we were not in that fight.”
