Lewis Hamilton has been at a crossroads with Max Verstappen ever since the latter dethroned the former as the Formula One world champion. Since then, while Verstappen has continued to assert his dominance, Hamilton has struggled with Mercedes to stay competitive. Even this season, the Red Bull driver is scaling new heights with each race win.
Max Verstappen has not only dominated the sport of F1 but also the rest of his peers, including his own teammate, Sergio Perez. Checo, despite being in equal machinery, is lagging over 100 points to the Dutchman in drivers championship standings. Hence, Max is being hailed for destroying all competition with his brilliance. However, Lewis Hamilton certainly disagrees with this media narrative, as he took a brutal jibe at the Red Bull driver.
Lewis Hamilton Calls Out Unnecessary Media Hype Around Max Verstappen’s Dominance
At the Monza race weekend, Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton took shots at Red Bull ace Max Verstappen. During the media day, the British driver called out the media narrative, which hails Verstappen for destroying his teammate to eliminate competition. Hamilton strongly disagrees with it. He said that Max has never had to deal with stronger teammates like he had during his days of dominance with Mercedes. Hamilton believes that during his era, he had to race with world champions like Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, and Nico Rosberg, who remained consistent. Even Valtteri Bottas, for that matter, posed as a strong competitor.
Hence, Lewis Hamilton believes that defeating stronger competition to come out on top is much more difficult. With regard to this, Max Verstappen had it easy, as his teammates weren’t that strong. Over the years, Max has raced with inexperienced drivers such as Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Daniel Ricciardo, who did not pose a threat. Sergio Perez, who looked strong at the start of the year, has lost his way and has been inconsistent. As a result, in Lewis’s opinion, the media has blown up Verstappen’s dominance. In reality, the Dutch driver never really drove alongside someone who was strong and consistent enough to pose a threat. That was certainly a candid and strong opinion from Hamilton. While Max is yet to respond to the jibe, his chief, Christian Horner, jumps out in defense.
Christian Horner Steps In Defense Of Max Verstappen After Hamilton’s Criticism
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also responded to Lewis Hamilton’s “stronger teammates” jibe at Max Verstappen. “It’s quite a strange thing for Lewis Hamilton to be saying after seven years of domination,” Horner said. The chief added that it’s not always about the teammates. For Verstappen, he has to compete against the rest of the grid as well.
Christian Horner believes that Max Verstappen has clearly demonstrated his capabilities as a strong driver. He has been so dominant that drivers fear to even team up with him. He has set such high standards for himself as well as his teammates that many do not wish to drive alongside him. Regardless, one thing is certain: the newly launched debate by Lewis Hamilton will further intensify his rivalry with Max Verstappen.
