More than three and a half years after the infamous opening-lap crash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the 2021 British Grand Prix, Mercedes admits to regretting how it handled the aftermath of the dramatic incident.
The incident at Silverstone involving F1's two championship rivals was one of the defining moments of a controversial and intensely competitive Formula 1 season.
Verstappen's Red Bull suffered a catastrophic 51G impact after tangling with Hamilton at the high-speed Copse corner, sending the Red Bull driver into the barriers.
The Dutchman exited the car on his own, but it was revealed that he suffered lingering effects from the crash, including vision issues.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner later disclosed that the impact had briefly knocked Verstappen unconscious.
Hamilton was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision as the stewards determined that he was predominantly but to blame for the clash.
Despite the setback, the Briton went on to win the race, triggering a significant swing in the drivers' championship standings.
However, his post-race celebrations further inflamed tensions, drawing ire from Red Bull and its supporters, as Verstappen was recovering in the hospital.
Reflecting on the fallout from that race, Lord explained that Mercedes relied on information from a member of Red Bull's team regarding Verstappen's condition, which inadvertently shaped the team's response.
"If we were to talk about something we regret, I think, having taken the word of a member of the Red Bull team – and therefore taken a little for granted – Max's condition after his shunt at Silverstone in 2021," Lord explained in an interview with PlanetF1.com .
“I think how we were perceived to handle that aftermath was a point at which that relationship in that season soured quite dramatically.
“We could have handled that in a different way that would have been more reflective of the concern we had for Max's well-being at that point in time, regardless of our view of the incident and the rights and wrongs of it.”
The crash and its aftermath further intensified the already heated rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen, as well as the strained relationship between Mercedes and Red Bull.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit sought to escalate the incident by appealing to the stewards' decision, arguing for a harsher penalty for Hamilton.
Mercedes chief communications officer Bradley Lord on the podium with Lewis Hamilton.
The team even conducted a re-enactment of the incident with driver Alexander Albon to demonstrate its perceived danger. However, the FIA ultimately rejected Red Bull's right of review request.
Mercedes' response at the time was firm, releasing a statement condemning Red Bull's actions.
"We hope that this decision will mark the end of a concerted attempt by the senior management of Red Bull Racing to tarnish the good name and sporting integrity of Lewis Hamilton," the team declared at the time.
Looking back, however, Lord acknowledges that Mercedes' response in how he handled the situation ultimately backfired.
"There was that side of things, and then to have, albeit unintentionally, antagonized the relationship, and the relationship with the fan bases in quite an extreme a way as it happened," he said.
"That's probably the moment. If we could go back in time and change it, I think we would change our responses and what we did at that point in time, around that afternoon."
The events at Silverstone marked a turning point in the 2021 season, not just in the title fight but in the broader dynamics of Formula 1.
The tone of the championship battle grew increasingly toxic, both on and off the track, with fan bases and teams alike entrenched in heated divisions.
For Mercedes, the crash and its fallout serve as a sobering reminder of how critical communication and perception are in high-stakes moments.
As Lord's comments suggest, the team continues to reflect on the lessons from that contentious afternoon at Silverstone.
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