Vision Woes for Verstappen Post 2021 Accident

Since his 2021 crash, Verstappen battles ongoing vision problems, notably on uneven tracks.

Max Verstappen revealed that his vision was impacted by the severe crash following his collision with Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 British Grand Prix.

The collision occurred as Verstappen and Hamilton were contesting the lead on the first lap of the race. The stewards deemed Hamilton “principally at fault” for the incident, imposing a 10-second penalty, though he still went on to win the race.

The Red Bull driver was sent into a tyre barrier at Copse corner with a force of about 51G on impact. He managed to exit his cockpit and was taken to the hospital for checks.

Three years post-impact, Verstappen has disclosed struggling with his vision in certain racing situations since.

“Since my Silverstone crash, I’ve been suffering from vision problems, particularly on bumpy tracks or those with many advertising panels along the circuit,” he reveals today.

Verstappen returned to racing in the next round after his accident. He described how the issue affected him during the 2021 United States Grand Prix.

“In that race, I was not only battling Lewis but also blurry images,” he explained, stating that he almost considered retiring at one point because of this.

“It was like driving a speedboat at 300 km/h. I’ve never spoken about it before, but for a few laps, it was so severe I seriously thought about pulling the car into the garage.”

“The only thing that helped was focusing on my breathing while having Lewis right behind me. It was a crucial victory I desperately needed in the championship fight.”

The issue still affects the Dutch driver today, albeit to a much lesser extent. However, it remains a concern that might prompt scrutiny from the FIA and its medical team.