Max Verstappen's first serious F1 crash and the remarkable consequences that followed

It was Monaco 2015, and 17-year-old Max Verstappen was in his debut season with Toro Rosso.

After a problem at his pit stop on lap 30, where he stalled for over 31 seconds, the Dutchman fought his way back through the field with fresh supersofts, chasing Romain Grosjean for the final point.

What followed was Verstappen's first major crash in Formula 1. Close behind Grosjean's Lotus, he hit the Frenchman's rear wheel, after which his STR10 flew into the barriers at 30G. The young Dutchman climbed out of his badly damaged car unaided and appeared uninjured.

The question of blame led to a firm difference of opinion. Verstappen was convinced that Grosjean had braked earlier than on the previous lap. The Frenchman firmly rejected that claim. The Lotus data showed he actually braked five metres later compared to the lap before. 

The stewards ruled that Verstappen was at fault and handed him a grid penalty of five places for the next race in Canada, plus two points on his super licence. However, the impact went beyond Verstappen's race alone. 

The crash led to the first use of the Virtual Safety Car during an F1 race. The subsequent full safety car caused Mercedes to call Lewis Hamilton into the pits, leading to a strategic blunder that cost him the win in favour of team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Scroll through the photos below for a photo report of the crash: