Max Verstappen has stated that he suffered from a long-standing medical ailment following his incident with Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone in 2021.
The Red Bull driver and Hamilton had been battling for the world championship throughout the 2021 season, with the British Grand Prix offering one of the most dramatic moments.
Verstappen and Hamilton crashed at Copse Corner while racing for the lead in the race.
The collision resulted in the Dutchman slamming into the tire wall at 180 mph, while Hamilton claimed victory.
Verstappen confessed in an interview with the Red Bull Bulletin that the crash affected him for several months after it occurred.He described his triumph at the US Grand Prix three months later as a’special win’ because he struggled with his vision throughout the race.
Many people are unaware that I was still suffering from vision problems as a result of my Silverstone crash.
‘So the track became quite wavy for me at points, and during the race, I was battling, of course, Lewis chasing me, but also battling myself because I was having trouble seeing.
‘It felt like riding a wave on a boat at 300 kph. To resolve the issue, I had to attempt a different method of controlling my breathing; nothing else was working.
‘For a few laps, I was about to stop the car because I couldn’t see clearly. It happened at rails that were rough or loaded.
‘I never informed anyone at the time that I was in a Championship battle, which is why this win is so meaningful to me.’ Verstappen was transported to the hospital for precautionary examinations following the accident, with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirming later in 2021 that the star was ‘knocked unconscious’.
Following the Grand Prix, Red Bull chastised Mercedes, alleging their post-race celebrations of Hamilton’s triumph were ‘disrespectful’, despite Verstappen’s continued hospital treatment.
‘I never told anyone at the time that I was in a Championship battle, which is why this victory means so much to me. Verstappen was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks after the crash, with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stating later in 2021 that the star was ‘knocked unconscious’.
Following the Grand Prix, Red Bull slammed Mercedes, claiming that their post-race celebrations of Hamilton’s victory were ‘disrespectful’, despite Verstappen’s ongoing medical treatment.
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