F1 News: Max Verstappen Explains Ongoing Health Issue After 2021 Lewis Hamilton Crash

Saajan Jogia | Jul 12, 2024

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 24, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. / Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Championship leader Max Verstappen revealed that he experienced blurry vision following his harrowing 51G crash at Silverstone in 2021. The incident, which occurred after a collision with Lewis Hamilton, sent Verstappen's car hurtling into the tire barriers.

Three years ago on the opening lap of the race of the British Grand Prix, Verstappen and Hamilton fiercely battled for the lead through the high-speed Copse corner. Their slight wheel-to-wheel contact catapulted Verstappen across the gravel and into a tire barrier.

Fortunately, Verstappen emerged physically unharmed from the crash. However, it has now come to light that the impact was so severe that he continues to experience lingering side effects. The Dutchman stated that the blurry vision becomes particularly challenging 'on undulating circuits or those with lots of advertising boards along the side of the track.'

In an interview with the Red Bulletin, discussing his top 10 wins out of the 61 he has achieved in his F1 career, Verstappen singled out the 2021 United States GP as number seven on his list for the following reasons. He said:

"Since my Silverstone crash, I've been struggling with visibility problems, especially on undulating circuits or those with lots of advertising boards along the side of the track.

"In this race, I wasn't just battling against Lewis, but also against blurry images. It was like driving a speedboat at 300 km/h!

"I've never told you this before, but for a few laps it was so bad that I seriously considered turning the car off.

"The only thing that helped was concentrating on my breathing while Lewis was breathing down my neck.

"An important victory that I desperately needed in the fight for the world championship."

Despite facing fierce competition and engaging in intense battles throughout the season, Verstappen clinched his first F1 championship that year amidst controversial circumstances, thwarting Hamilton's bid for an eighth world title.