Prior to the Italian Grand Prix, the spotlight of the ongoing F1 championship shone brightest on Max Verstappen. Following the race in Monza, that spotlight continues to stay on Verstappen, albeit in a different form.

Following his crash with Lewis Hamilton, cameras caught Verstappen quickly walking away from the crash, which drew criticism from former world champion Sir Jackie Stewart. However, former Williams driver responded to the British racing icon by disagreeing with his opinion.

Ralf Schumacher disagrees with Jackie Stewart’s views on Max Verstappen

Heading into Turn 1, Verstappen and Hamilton went into the chicane at nearly the same time. As they approached Turn 2, both drivers came in contact, sending Verstappen’s car on top of Hamilton’s. In fact, the Red Bull’s right rear tire briefly grazed the Briton’s head before the car landed on the Mercedes’ nose.

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After the crash, Verstappen looked at Hamilton’s car for a brief moment before walking away from the scene. Stewart criticised the Dutchman’s maturity for his actions after the crash, by saying, “Verstappen is taking longer than expected to mature.

“Not even to go to see Hamilton after a serious accident when you have just driven over the top of the guy is something I don’t really understand. Especially when he is still in his car and remained there for a long time before getting out.”

However, Schumacher came to the 23-year-old’s defence. He mentioned Hamilton’s attempt to reverse and continue as justification for the Dutchman’s actions. “Lewis was still trying to reverse! So why should Max go then? Don’t really understand ?! Obviously nothing happened to Lewis if he wanted to drive on,” said the 46-year-old.

READ MORE: Why Was Max Verstappen So Crash-Prone Early in His F1 Career?

Verstappen holds a five-point lead over Hamilton in the driver’s championship

Before Sunday’s race in Monza, Verstappen gained two points by finishing P2 in sprint qualifying. This extended his lead to five points in the title fight with Hamilton, who finished P5 in the 100km race.

However, the Dutchman now heads to the Sochi Autodrom, which has witnessed nothing but Mercedes dominance. Can he find a way to extend his lead over the reigning world champion? Or is a change at the top imminent on September 26?

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