Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s rivalry took an ugly turn – quite literally – when the former’s car ended up landing on Hamilton’s head. The two collided at Monza’s tight first chicane. If not for the halo – the protective titanium hoop – things could’ve gotten very ugly for the Mercedes driver. Well, the good thing is at least he’s safe and alive.

What Exactly Led To Crash?

The crash happened at the circuit’s tight first chicane. The much-criticized sausage curb seemed to be the culprit here. Verstappen’s car hit the sausage curb which forced the car back onto the track, launching it in the air, and climbing onto Hamilton’s car. The rear right tire hit Hamilton’s head, but it could’ve been worse if not for the halo. The Halo, for the uninitiated, is the titanium equipment that’s there to protect the driver from flying debris - or in this case, Verstappen's wheel - in case of a crash. If not for that, we never know what would’ve happened to Hamilton and trying not to think about it either.

What Did Hamilton Have To Say?

Hamilton posted about the incident on his Instagram account. An excerpt from that says,

Max Verstappen walked away after the crash and didn’t check on Hamilton, which even took the veteran by surprise. Hamilton said,

It was noted that Verstappen was "predominantly to blame" and he’s been given a three-place grid penalty at the next event.

Watch the replay of the crash in slow-motion below and share your thoughts on this incident with us in the comments section.