Max Verstappen tried to get Lewis Hamilton penalised in unheard Canadian Grand Prix radio

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Max Verstappen questioned Lewis Hamilton’s adherence to yellow flags during their battle at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Verstappen passed Hamilton in the early stages of Sunday’s race, but the Ferrari driver got back through on lap 62 of 68 to secure second place.

Hamilton lost multiple seconds to Verstappen when he outbraked himself at the turn eight/nine chicane and ran across the grass, but he reeled the Red Bull in during a formidable second stint and got past around the outside of turn one.

Max Verstappen said Lewis Hamilton was gaining on him under yellow flags

There were several yellow-flag interruptions and virtual safety car periods during Sunday’s race as incidents further down the field left debris on track.

During the first stint, Verstappen claimed that Hamilton was making up ground under yellows, when drivers are supposed to slow down for safety reasons.

In an unbroadcast radio message clearly directed at the FIA, he told his team: “Hamilton is catching under yellows. It’s not normal.”

The incident wasn’t noted by the stewards, so clearly Verstappen’s suspicions weren’t supported by the data.

Ironically, his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar would pick up a penalty for the same infraction. Hadjar was hit with a severe 10-second stop-and-go after failing to adequately slow down as he passed the stricken Mercedes of George Russell.

After the race, both Hamilton and Verstappen, who have collided numerous times in the past, said they had enjoyed the intense but clean battle.

“It was awesome,” Hamilton said in the post-race press conference. “Absolutely awesome to fight with one of the greats. It was massively challenging.”

“Yeah, it was very good,” Verstappen agreed. “I enjoyed it a lot.”

• READ MORE: Damon Hill and Martin Brundle agree about Lewis Hamilton overtake on Max Verstappen at Canadian GP

While Red Bull weren’t as quick in Canada as they had been in Miami, immediately after their upgrades, they do appear to have rejoined the fight at the front after beginning the year in the midfield.

Verstappen was facing a five-race podium drought before his P3 in Canada, which would have been his longest since 2017.