Hamilton wasn't totally level going into the corner, he was slightly behind, but... Verstappen knew he was there, and just drove into him to try to force Hamilton off the track. Hamilton attacked on the outside, was cut off, so then tried the inside instead. That's fair enough, they'd been at it every corner on that opening lap.

It is probably a racing incident, but for me if anyone is to blame, then it is Verstappen. And I say that because... ask yourself what would have happened if the situation (cars and total championship points) were reversed, Hamilton on the outside, Verstappen cutting inside and slightly behind. Would Hamilton have driven straight into him, or would he have reluctantly ceded the position?

The difference is Hamilton in that situation, on the outside, and with a 33 point championship lead, would have let Verstappen through and taken the 18 points for second. But with Verstappen there is no nuance, it's all-or-nothing, so he decided to ram Hamilton rather than settle for second. It's why he's exciting, but it's also why he has a reputation as a dangerous driver. And the result is he lost 25 points in the championship race, rather than the 7 he could have lost if he'd kept his eye on the bigger picture rather than being lost in the moment.