Max Verstappen has responded to some of the comments Lewis Hamilton made earlier this week. The 7-time Champion claims the Dutchman’s success is cheapened by a lack of competition, arguing Verstappen has never faced high-calibre teammates.
Hamilton told Sky Sports that Valtteri Bottas was a “stronger” rival than anyone the 25-year-old has raced in equal machinery.
The British driver also discussed the differing “narrative” surrounding Verstappen and Perez compared to his former teammate.
From Hamilton’s perspective, he never received the praise for outperforming Bottas that Verstappen now enjoys for comprehensively dispatching Sergio Perez.
Speaking after today’s qualifying, the Double World Champion was honest in his response.
“Maybe Lewis is a little jealous of my current success.” Telegraaf quotes him as saying.
“He may think he gains something with statements like that, but it doesn’t matter to me.
“I think it’s hard for Mercedes to deal with a loss after all these years of winning so much.”
Such exchanges between the two drivers are not uncommon, with the duo clearly having lingering emotions after the 2021 Championship.
Online debate sparked from Hamilton’s initial comments, and the same process will almost certainly repeat itself in the upcoming 24 hours.
Hamilton’s initial statement is not without merit, given that Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button (amongst others) are among his former teammates.
With that said, suggesting Valtteri Bottas was a faster driver than Daniel Ricciardo is arguably an overstatement.
It’s not as though Carlos Sainz, whilst not a World Champion, was an easy rival for Verstappen to race against as a rookie. Of course, nothing compares to facing Fernando Alonso amidst a Championship battle in year 1.
Either way, it can hardly be a surprise that Verstappen fired back against the criticisms Hamilton made of his current success.
Regardless of these off-track disputes, F1 fans will surely be hopeful for this rivalry to translate into fierce battles for race wins in the foreseeable future.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
