Lewis Hamilton has speculated as to why he and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen have been having such intense duels on the Formula 1 track for years and why the Dutchman always focuses on the British driver in particular.
After Lewis Hamilton dominated Formula 1 for much of the last decade, Max Verstappen emerged as the dominator in the pinnacle of motorsport in the last two seasons, winning two world championship titles in a row. In the 2021 season in particular, the Red Bull driver fought a head-to-head duel with the Mercedes man, and the two F1 drivers clashed again and again on the track, taking each other out on several occasions.
In 2022, the track encounters became less frequent because Mercedes was lagging behind for a long time, especially at the beginning of the season. Towards the end of the year, however, things escalated again.
At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen crashed into the seven-time world champion, received a five-second penalty and dropped back. Hamilton felt almost pursued by the Dutchman, as he shared after the race.
Verstappen targets Hamilton
Now the 37-year-old has conjectured why Verstappen keeps targeting him. “I think it’s almost self-explanatory,” Hamilton told British TV station Channel 4.
“You just have to listen to what certain people say about me as a competitor,” the British driver pointed out, adding meaningfully, without again mentioning Verstappen’s name directly: “And you have to look back at how people like that behave next to me on the track.
“Then you would see that this behaviour is very different from how it is towards other drivers.”
Hamilton recalls debut year in Formula 1
Hamilton put this down to the fact that he has enjoyed such great success with Mercedes in recent years, claiming six of his seven World Championship titles with the Silver Arrows.
“I can’t quite explain it, but part of this [rivalry Verstappen] is certainly because I’ve had such great success here.”
It was no different for himself back when he first came to Formula One in 2007, Hamilton continued. At that time, “someone else who had just had success was the target and my concern was to challenge them.”
By that, the British driver is likely referring to Kimi Raikkonen, who secured the title that year before Hamilton himself became F1 world champion for the first time a year later.
“You then want to show how tough you are, how good you are compared to that person and so on,” Hamilton said, explaining Verstappen’s constant on-track attacks.
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MV’s aggression on and off the track is a genetic gene from his parents especially his father. JV Mr Gravelman, who never mastered the F1 circuit, not one single podium in his F1 career….. for that speaks volumes. Goggle his life’s behaviour racing and MV’s Karting career.
Now about JV’s behaviour in F 1 racing along with personal life his aggressive antics have been instilled into Max. There is hatred within the Ver’s.
Ps… No F1 podiums for JV?… Might want to check that😉🥳
And you all know that because you know excactly all ins and outs about their family… Because you read articles. Every family had is ups and downs. Difference is only that when you’re in the spotlights every little thing is under a microscope. The actual fact is that his relationship with his family is wrote good and even though max as made some errors in his behaviour this will ease over the years to come. What he does have is a winners mentality and will continue to fight for every point no matter the circumstances. He will be a force to recon with in every single season to come and it will give us the excitement we missed for so many years after Senna, Prost, Schumacher etc. Can’t wait for next season
Oh and get the facts right… Jos was on the podium 2 times in his career in F1
Oh…. Ps. Jos has been on the podium 2 times in his F1