If he wanted to slow down, he could have.
No it's ok, I was just being cheeky. I don't agree with the exact quote you gave: "when tyres are on the limit of grip, they may turn OR brake, but if you try to do both, you'll get neither. "
If your tyres are really on the limit of grip then you are...
Ooo get you.
I think that's a bit of an oversimplification. Max was accelerating as he exited the corner, he could have eased off if he wanted. Not that I think he should have.
Hopefully he wouldn't try and cause it and risk point deduction (I know Vettel didn't get points deducted earlier, but his car is red), but there's no way he'd yield the place to Vettel. Against any other driver, yes, he'd want to avoid a DNF.