Max Verstappen recently clarified that his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton is not ‘personal.’ The Dutch and the British driver were entailed in a very intense battle for the title in 2021 which led to many believe that their rivalry is off the tracks as well. The season saw the two drivers going at it throughout the year and in the end, it was Max who won in controversial circumstances.
Since 2021, Max Verstappen has performed remarkably with Red Bull and secured the title comfortably in 2022 and 2023 while Lewis Hamilton toiled. To put it out simply, the Mercedes team led by him hasn’t been strong enough to have a F1 title campaign. Worse, in all this time, the driver hasn’t even been able to win a single race.
The rivalry has partially subsided throughout this time. However, it still flares up in the media. In 2023, for example, Lewis Hamilton didn’t hesitate to mention that, in his opinion, none of Max Verstappen’s colleagues could compare to what he had during his career. It wasn’t great to see the two drivers argue back and forth after that.
Max Verstappen comments on his relationship with Lewis Hamilton
Speaking to The Times, Verstappen was asked whether the rivalry had become personal tow hich the Red Bull driver denied and made it clear that the relationship was pretty normal when they are off the tracks.
He said:
“I don’t need that kind of rivalry. Of course we want to beat each other, but honestly, once we’re in a private setting it’s like just normal guys.”
It’s worth noting that The Red Bull driver has now won three titles in a row and in 2024 he will be looking to extend his streak and get a fourth one.
