However, the manoeuvre caused contact with Verstappen, who crashed into the wall, and prompted a 10-second time penalty for Hamilton.
Red Bull remained furious with the collision weeks after the race, and proceeded to re-enact the incident with their then reserve driver, Alex Albon, as they lobbied the FIA to impose a tougher penalty on Hamilton.
Verstappen reveals impact of 2021 Silverstone collision
Whilst Verstappen went on to win the 2021 season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he has revealed in a recent interview that the crash has had a long-lasting impact on his health.
Speaking to Formule1.nl, the champion opened up that the crash had caused ‘vision problems’, and impacted his 2021 title battle.
“Since my crash in Silverstone, I have struggled with vision problems, especially on bumpy tracks or tracks with lots of billboards along the side,” Verstappen said.
“During the 2021 United States Grand Prix in Austin, I was not only battling Lewis, but also my blurred vision. It felt like I was driving a speedboat at 300 kilometers per hour.”
"I've never said this before, but it was a few laps in that I seriously considered parking the car. It only helped to concentrate on my own breathing, while Lewis was panting in my gate,” the Dutchman added.
“That was an important victory that I urgently needed in the battle for the world championship.”