'Hamilton and Verstappen's crash at Silverstone the worst seen by anyone'
F1 News
In the iconic 2021 World Championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, many people mark the British Grand Prix as one of the key moments of the season. Former Red Bull Racing Parts Supply Hub Coordinator and now Race Team Coordinator Ed Hemsworth remembers the incident at Silverstone vividly.
Thousands of people are employed by F1 teams for a manner of different jobs, all working towards the same goal: title success. In 2021, Hemsworth was the Racing Parts Supply Hub Coordinator, working as the link between the factory and the team at Grands Prix. Speaking to Motorsport, Hemsworth is proud to say he knows exactly what each part's number is, its description, as well as how many Red Bull has.
Hemsworth has been with Red Bull since 2021, the year when, arguably, the greatest title battle F1 has ever seen took place on the track. But it didn't come without its contentious moments. In that season, the Red Bull employee recalls witnessing the huge collision between Hamilton and Verstappen at Silverstone up close: "It was the worst crash anyone here has ever seen," he looks back.
Formula 1 is "not a game"
"When you’re sweeping up parts of the car that our driver sat in, there’s the realization that we’re not just messing around with toys here. This isn't a game where you can press the reset button, this is people's lives — and it was a massive eye-opener," the Brit continued.
Now, Verstappen is now a four-time world champion after coming out on top in 2021, with yet another contentious moment in Abu Dhabi. Seeing that success up close is something that has thrilled Hemsworth: "We treat him like a normal member of the team, because the minute the drivers step out the door, they're these superheroes … it must be so difficult to be put on such a pedestal.”
This article was created in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen
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