Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided halfway through the Italian Grand Prix, with the contact instantly ending the races of both Formula 1 title rivals.
Polesitter Verstappen lost the lead to Daniel Ricciardo at the start of the Sunday race at Monza, but held off the advances of Hamilton on the run to the della Roggia chicane, forcing Hamilton to jump across the chicane.
Hamilton rejoined in fourth place behind Lando Norris, Verstappen and race leader Ricciardo.
The battle at the front became a fight between Ricciardo and Verstappen for first place, and another between Norris and Hamilton for third place.
But that was blown wide open when Verstappen suffered an 11.1-second pitstop that would effectively drop him into the clutches of Norris and Hamilton.
Hamilton made his pitstop a few laps later, coming out behind Norris – who he had recently overtaken on track – but right alongside Verstappen.
Championship leader Verstappen attempted to go around the outside of Hamilton at the first chicane, but the duo collided on the exit and both cars became beached in the gravel with the Red Bull on top of the Mercedes.
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Hamilton and Verstappen collide at Turn 2!
They are both out of the race #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/6uuh7NhfZ4
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2021
“That’s what you get when you don’t leave the space, f***ing hell,” said Verstappen over team radio.
While Hamilton attempted to reverse out of the gravel, Verstappen jumped out of his Red Bull, knowing his race was done. Hamilton eventually had to do the same.
The incident will be investigated after the race, with the pair summoned to the stewards at 5.15pm local time.
It marks Hamilton’s first DNF since the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix and the second significant Hamilton/Verstappen collision of the season following their clash at the British GP at Silverstone.
Ricciardo leads the race ahead of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and his team-mate Norris.
