While fighting for position mid-way through Sunday’s race at Imola, the two championship rivals came to blows at the exit of the first chicane, resu🔜lting in both drivers retiring after becoming beached in the gravel.

Verstappen’s Rꦚed Bull car was launched into the air during the frightening collision and landing on top of Hamilton’s Mercedes, with replays showing that Verstappen’s right-rear wheel dragged over the roll hoop before striking Hamilton’s head.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the cockpit protection device 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖♔结果历史:“definitely” saved Hamilton’s life fro💜m what would have otherwise been a “horrible accident”.

Hamilton 𓆏admitted he felt “grateful” to have walkeಌd away from the incident unscathed.

“Thank God for the halo. It saved me,” Hamilton 🙈said🥂.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been hit on the head by a car before. My head really is quite fa☂r forward.

“I’ve been racing a long, long time, I’m so so grateful that I’m still here. Feel incredibly bl♎essed, like somebody was watching over me today.”

The seven-time world champion revealed he had been suffering from a sore head and neck and will seꦡe a specialist before the next race in Russia to confirm𝓡 he has not been injured.

“I probably will see a specialist just to make sure I’m good for the next race, because it’s getting tighter and tig𒊎hter,” he said.

Hamilton said he found it “surprising” 🦩to see Verstappen walk away from the scene of the crash without checking on his condition.

“I saw Max ge🌄t out and just walk by,” said Hamilton. “I felt that was a bit surprising. When we have incidents the 🐓first thing we want to make sure is the guy we collided with is OK.

“But the good๊ thing is I was able to get out. It was a long walk back but we live to fight another day.”

Verstappen, who has received a three-place grid penalty for the Russian Grand Prix, said it was clear Hamilto🌃n was unhurt due to the Briton attempting to reverse his car out of the gravel bed.

“Lewis was fine, he was still trying to reverse when I was already out of the car,” he add𒀰ed. “When you are not fine, you are not doing that.♌”

H🍸amilton explained how in the immediate rush of the adrenalin he was completely focused on trying to get hi🔴mself back into the race.

“Looking back at the footage, it happened incredibly quick in the car and I was like ‘all I can think of is getting going and how many pos🧸itions I’m losing’ – I’m still in race mode,” he said.

“I’m in a little bit of pain but just like ‘let’s go’ but the car wouldn’t move. In the moment it was 🔯a big hit but all I could think of was could I get going again.”