Just had a chance to watch the Brazil GP highlights, especially the Ocon/Verstappen incident. I suspect I'm the minority given what the radio, podcast and pundits have been saying, but I have sympathy with Ocon:
- You're allowed to unlap yourself. Other incidents up the road, safety cars, rain etc. could still dramatically change the GP and he wanted position. He was faster, on fresh tyres, he didn't want to waste the fresh part of the tyre in the RB's wake.
- Verstappen didn't need to fight back. True he was trying to stay ahead of Hamilton, but in truth he was faster than Hamilton. He could have yielded it, got a bit of DRS from Ocon as well and let him drive up the road. On the next straight Ocon would have had DRS and been on fresh tyres, at which point the pass would have been inevitable.
- Ocon was literally a foot or two behind Verstappen going into the corner, if this was for position he wouldn't be expected to back off and Verstappen would be expected to give him room
- The fact Verstappen was the leader (or a lap ahead) I'm not sure is as important when a back marker is faster than when the leader is faster (i.e. the leader would be held up in the latter case). Imagine in football if the bottom club were expected to not tackle as hard against the top clubs as against relegation rivals.