Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has revealed the long-term effects of his infamous crash at the 2021 British Grand Prix while battling with Lewis Hamilton. Despite achieving a memorable victory at Silverstone in 2023, Verstappen’s memories of the circuit are marred by the severe accident two years prior.
During the first lap of the 2021 British Grand Prix, Verstappen and Hamilton collided at Copse following an intense battle in the opening few corners. Verstappen, who was on the outside, spun off into the gravel and hit the tyre barrier with an impact generating approximately 51G of force. The collision was one of the most dramatic moments in their fierce title fight that year.
Speaking to The Red Bulletin, a special edition magazine marking Red Bull Racing’s 20th anniversary, Verstappen disclosed that he suffered from vision problems for months following the crash. It was particularly prevalent in Austin and Jeddah.
He identified the 2021 US Grand Prix as one of his best victories, not just because of the fact he held Lewis Hamilton off on much older tyres in the stint, but also due to the personal challenges he faced that day.
“Many people don’t know this, but at the time I was still struggling with vision problems from my crash in Silverstone,” Verstappen said.
“So the track sometimes started to go really wavy for me and during that race I was battling, of course, Lewis catching me but at the same time battling myself because I was struggling with my vision. It was like riding a wave on a boat while going at 300kph.”
Verstappen described the intensity of the situation and the unique approach he had to take to manage it, saying he had to engage in a different breathing technique just to make it through that race.
“I had to try to control my breathing in a different way to try to get rid of the problem — nothing else was working.
“For quite a number of laps, I was almost about to stop the car because I couldn’t see properly. It happened at tracks that were very bumpy or had loads of advertising boards. I never told anyone at that point as I had a world championship battle. That’s why for me it’s a really special win.”
Despite having concussion-like symptoms, the now 26-year-old took his first Drivers’ World Championship in Abu Dhabi that year. At present, Verstappen leads the 2024 standings by 84 points ahead of the Hungarian GP next weekend.
