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'No excusing that': Max Verstappen slammed over F1 crash 'disgrace'

Max Verstappen is seen here walking back to the pits after his crash with Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen didn't check to see whether Lewis Hamilton was OK after their terrifying crash at the Italian GP. Pic: Getty

Max Verstappen has come under fire from Formula One fans after being criticised for his actions in the wake of the terrifying crash with Lewis Hamilton.

Daniel Ricciardo's drought-breaking win at the Italian Grand Prix was somewhat overshadowed by the frightening incident that wiped title contenders Hamilton and Verstappen out of the race.

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Seven-time world champion Hamilton said afterwards that he was lucky to be alive and praised F1's 'halo' safety device after Verstappen's Red Bull slammed into his Mercedes and came within centimetres of the Brit's head.

The 'halo' head protection device took most of the blow as the Red Bull lifted up and landed on Hamilton's Mercedes.

Hamilton admitted afterwards that he was surprised to see Verstappen get out of his car and "just walk by" without checking to see whether the Brit was OK.

"Ultimately when we do have incidents the first thing we want to make sure is the guy that we crashed into or collide with is OK," he said.

Verstappen took to social media after the race to share his thoughts on the "unfortunate" incident.

Pictured here, Max Verstappen's car crashes on top of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes at the Italian GP.
Max Verstappen's car crashed on top of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes in a terrifying incident at the Italian GP. Pic: Getty

"Today was very unfortunate. The incident could have been avoided if I had been left enough space to make the corner. You need 2 people to make that work and I feel I was squeezed out of it. When racing each other, these things can happen, unfortunately," he tweeted.

While Hamilton ultimately counted his blessings after being able to walk away from the crash unscathed, viewers were left fuming that Verstappen didn't even bother going over the check on the health of his rival driver.

Verstappen had criticised Hamilton in July when the pair collided at the British Grand Prix and the champion celebrated his eventual win while the Dutch driver was being checked in hospital.

'Quite a shock' for Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton said after the latest incident at Monza that he felt some pain in his neck and would probably need to see a specialist before the next race in Russia on September 26.

"I feel very, very fortunate today thank God for the halo. That did ultimately save me, you know, and saved my neck," he told reporters.

"I don't think I've ever been hit on the head by a car before, and it's quite a shock for me. If you've seen the image, my head really is quite far forward.

"I'm so, so grateful that I'm still here. I feel incredibly blessed. I feel like someone was watching over me today.

"I've been racing a long time and we are taking risks out there all the time. I guess it's only when you experience something like that that you get that real shock of how you look at life and realise how fragile we are."

Stewards summoned both drivers after the race and decided that Verstappen was predominantly to blame, handing the Dutch 23-year-old a three-place grid penalty for the Russian race in Sochi.

Hamilton was pleased the stewards had acted.

"I'm ultimately proud of the stewards. It definitely sets a precedent and I think it's important for us moving forwards for the safety of the drivers," he said.

"When you get away with things like that, then it's easy just to continue to do it."

with AAP

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