Formula 1: Max Verstappen did himself a subtle favor with Lewis Hamilton collision

Three-time reigning Formula 1 world champion and current points leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull had a race to forget on Sunday in Hungary, and for the first time in nearly two months, his gap to second place in the standings shrunk.

Straight from the get-go, it looked like it would be a long day for the 26-year-old Dutchman, who was told to give up second place to McLaren's Lando Norris after overtaking the polesitter on the start by going off of the race track. Verstappen claimed he was shoved wide, but the stewards didn't see it that way.

By extending his tire stints, Verstappen was left playing catchup to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton for third place after both of his pit stops. He was unable to pass him before Hamilton came in for new tires, but he had a lot more pace the second time around.

Lap after lap, however, Verstappen was unable to get a move done. At one point, it looked like he had gotten it done, but Hamilton was able to fight back and retake the spot.

Then at another point, he appeared to have gotten it done heading into turn one of the 14-turn, 2.722-mile (4.381-kilometer) road course. But he locked up and made contact with Hamilton, sending the rear of the Red Bull into the air before it slammed back onto the track surface.

Had Hamilton's car not been there, Verstappen was likely headed for the runoff area once again anyway, given how late he was on the brakes.

Verstappen did himself one small favor

There is no doubt that Verstappen was at fault for this collision, and it only hurt himself, not Hamilton, as he fell to fifth place behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc as well.

Truth be told, Verstappen's race was a disaster waiting to happen all afternoon long, and even with the possibility of clawing his way onto the podium with what was once again nowhere near a race-winning car, he got away from a points racing approach that had served him well in other events he hasn't been able to win this year.

But let's walk through how it happened.

Verstappen made a late lunge on Hamilton after having been unable to pass him for several laps. With Verstappen alongside, Hamilton turned into the Red Bull, which is what ultimately caused the contact, but all he was doing was taking the racing line.

Verstappen, despite having committed to the move, absolutely could have done more to avoid the contact. But he didn't.

I said after the Austrian Grand Prix, when Verstappen and Norris collided in a battle for the lead, that if roles had been reversed, Verstappen still would have been the one blamed for it.

Sunday's race exposed that.

Norris, after several failed attempts to pass Verstappen, made a late lunge. Verstappen's car was indeed angled to the left, which is what ultimately caused the contact, but all he was doing was taking the racing line.

Norris, despite having committed to the move, absolutely could have done more to avoid the contact.

Here we are, only two races later, and Verstappen just proved that whenever he's involved in an incident, he's the one who's going to be blamed for it, regardless of who really is at fault.

He was absolutely at fault for the incident with Hamilton. But again, had roles been reversed, he still would have been blamed for it.

Last month's Austrian Grand Prix confirmed that.

Verstappen, like everybody else, is not immune to making mistakes. But instead of questioning his maturity every time something doesn't go his way on the race track, perhaps the real questions should pertain to some of the ongoing narratives and agendas perpetuated by the mainstream media, week in and week out.