Lewis Hamilton opens up on ‘respect’ with F1 rival Max Verstappen
Hamilton has admitted that the pair have “a lot in common”
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Your support makes all the difference.Lewis Hamilton has revealed that “things are normal” between him and Max Verstappen despite the controversial end to the 2021 Formula 1 season.
Hamilton missed out on a record eighth world title as Verstappen secured his maiden crown with a final lap overtake at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
It was a contentious close to a thrilling title battle that left Hamilton “disillusioned”, with the 37-year-old only committing to a return to Mercedes and F1 after several months of offseason rumours amid an extended social media and public silence from the British driver.
But with the pair back in the paddock ahead of the new season, which begins in Bahrain this weekend, Hamilton insists that there remains a shared “respect”, and that the two actually have “a lot in common”.
However Hamilton concedes there are “no friends” on the track as the duo prepare for another potential title duel.
“For me and Max, we’re seeing each other in the paddock, things are normal,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“We are two individual drivers who have a lot of common in the sense of how much we love doing what we do, driving.
“On the other side, we’re ruthless. He is ruthless, that’s how you have to be, I would imagine in business but hopefully with a bit of compassion.
“But we are fighters out there, there’s no friends on track.
“Some days we get it right, some days we get it wrong, but what’s important is when we get back out, we are human beings and we do keep respect.”
An eighth Drivers’ Championship would take Hamilton beyond Michael Schumacher and make the British driver the most successful driver in Formula 1 history outright.
He has been joined at Mercedes by compatriot George Russell, who replaces Valtteri Bottas at the German team.
The pair were a little off-the-pace for large parts of the two rounds of preseason testing, with the new W13 car struggling particularly with ‘porpoising’.
While Mercedes have regularly overcome middling testing performances to start seasons strongly in the past, including last year when they took an opening day victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton fears that the team could struggle.
“Next week we will get a much better showing of our pace,” said Hamilton after the final day of testing at the Sakhir circuit that will also host the first Grand Prix of the season on 20 March.
“I’m sure everyone can figure that out - we are not the quickest at the moment. Ferrari look to be the quickest, then perhaps Red Bull, and then maybe us or maybe McLaren, I don’t know. But we’re currently not at the top.
“I think people will be surprised maybe. Or at least people keep talking about us talking ourselves down. But it’s a bit different this year.”
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