The classic Drive to Survive scene that exposed Max Verstappen’s 2021

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen revealed last week that he has “struggled with visibility problems” ever since his crash with Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton at the 2021 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

But did an episode of Drive to Survive, Netflix’s hit F1 docuseries, reveal the first clues that all was not well with Verstappen as the 2021 season reached its crescendo?

Max Verstappen visibility issues unearthed by Drive to Survive?
Verstappen suffered a heavy accident on the opening lap of the 2021 British GP after contact with Hamilton at the Copse corner, one of several flashpoints between the pair as they battled for the title.

The Dutchman was taken to hospital for precautionary checks after a massive 51G impact, with his Red Bull team left incensed after Hamilton overcame a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision to win the race, reducing Verstappen’s lead in the Drivers’ standings to eight points.

READ MORE:I’ll wait for F1 as long as it takes”: Mick Schumacher determined to make a..

Verstappen would eventually secure his maiden World Championship at the end of 2021 in the highly controversial season finale in Abu Dhabi, where the FIA race director’s failure to implement the Safety Car rules correctly saw him overtake Hamilton on the final lap of the race.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton: The best of enemies

Speaking to the Red Bulletin, Red Bull’s in-house media publication, last week, Verstappen revealed that he has been plagued by the after-effects of his crash at Silverstone.

And he added that the situation came to a head later that season at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where he struggled with blurred vision as he withstood a late charge from Hamilton to win by 1.333 seconds – a pivotal victory in his first title-winning campaign.

He said: “Since my Silverstone crash, I’ve struggled with visibility problems, especially on undulating circuits or those with lots of advertising boards on the side of the track.

“In this race [Austin 2021], I wasn’t just fighting against Lewis, but also against blurred images.

“It was like driving a speedboat at 300 km/h! I’ve never said this before, but it was so bad for a few laps that I seriously considered turning the car off.