Lewis Hamilton & I Did ‘Hate Each Other’ at Times: Max Verstappen

Amidst roaring controversies, Max Verstappen reached the chequered flag in P1 to claim his first-ever world championship title in F1 against Lewis Hamilton. There were cries of joy on one side of the paddock whereas absolute silence on the other.

Nevertheless, despite the crushing disappointment, Hamilton congratulated the Dutchman on winning the championship while Verstappen lauded the 7-time world champion’s resilience throughout the season; The season, despite often crossing roads with controversies, ended on a good note in terms of the duo’s respect for each other.

However, while there were smiles between Hamilton and Verstappen, the latter admitted that the two championship rivals occasionally hated each other.

What did Max Verstappen say?

As reported by BBC, Verstappen affirmed that there was a bit of hate revolving around himself and Hamilton throughout the season. Yet, their respect for each other off the track was what prevented the hate from escalating any further.

Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 11, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after qualifying Pool via REUTERS/Kamran Jebreili

“You look each other in the eye,” he said. “You don’t say a lot but you do relate a lot and you really appreciate the fight.

“Sometimes we did hate each other. But, that’s fine. That’s the competitive spirit of both of us. He is an incredible driver,” Verstappen added.

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The win was very lucky: Verstappen

Although reckoning that he deserved the championship, Verstappen admitted that the race victory in Abu Dhabi was extremely lucky, as he was certain that he wasn’t going to beat Hamilton at any cost.

“We have won it on track. People say it was a lucky win. Absolutely, the win was very lucky. But we also have been very unlucky throughout the season.

Formula One F1 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 12, 2021 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates winning the race and the world championship with the Netherlands flag on the podium REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

“Otherwise, the championship would have been decided way earlier, even with the dominance Mercedes had towards the end of the season. I’m like, ‘Well, sometimes a little bit of luck in your life is nice as well,’” Verstappen concluded.

Overall, Hamilton and Verstappen managed to offer the much-needed breakthrough for F1 amidst a rather stale set of seasons since 2016. But, the question is, can the duo continue to deliver more such on-track entertainment? Will Ferrari look to up the ante by joining the title race next season?

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