Last weekend’s British Grand Prix saw a terrific move by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the outside of Lewis Hamilton through Copse corner. The move brought memories of last year’s altercation when Max Verstappen was on the outside of Lewis Hamilton through Copse and the two touched putting Max into the wall.
After the race last Sunday, Lewis discussed the Leclerc move and said:
“very sensible” he said to Sky F1, adding it was “clearly a lot different to what we experienced last year”.
Speaking to the Dutch media on Thursday, Verstappen was asked about Hamilton’s comments and wondered if Leclerc was a more sensible driver than Max is. Max replied:
“I think it’s quite nice that, at 37 years of age, you can still learn how to hit an apex, Verstappen replied.
“He is learning, so that is positive. It is also good for younger drivers to know that you are still learning when you are 37 years old.”
Let’s be honest, Max doesn’t have much time for Lewis and his comments. Head games are all part of F1 and that’s the fun of it. Lewis is typically very good at it and has a phalanx of social media fans that carry water for him with every word he utters but Max has a pretty decent following as well and over the last two years has taken the head games right back at the 7-time champ.
So far this season Max has been battling Leclerc quite a bit and Team LH were apoplectic on social media as to why Max seemed to have much more room for Charles than he every does Lewis.
Perhaps some of that is because Lewis is the old guard. He’s not of that current generation (Max, Charles, Carlos Sainz, George Russell, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, Mick Schumacher, and the wonderful Lando Norris) and they all grew up racing together. Lewis, as odd as it sounds, is the outsider to this generation and the clear target for elimination.
Max, and I suspect others in this new crop of drivers, will have little room for Lewis. I do think they all respect him and what he’s achieved but they are looking for titles and giving Lewis all the room he needs to claim another title is of little interest to them.
Quite frankly I suspect that the new drivers respect Lewis much more than Max ever will. I found Max’s comments quite rude and unnecessary. He’s a bully on the track and although that may be exciting to watch it certainly doesn’t endear him to true race fans.
No doubt he’s an aggressive racer but I do think he’s engaged in the full head games gambit as well. I remember when Lewis would talk smack about Schumacher and Alonso. Part of the changing of the guard.
Max was just replying to Lewis’ comments, he started it in Silverstone with that totally uncalled for underhanded comment. Max wasn’t even in the picture that race, yet lewis still felt the need to have a dig at Max. That’s why he’s such an unlikable character.
That also was the problem last year, as soon toto and lewis identified Max as the real threat for the title they started their media offensive with these underhanded little digs. Because the know the british media will goble up any drivel they serve up. Always try to
Max should take note it won’t be much of a career if you aren’t learning and developing each day. I know I take something out of every day at work and he’s far from the finished article. As we say in Scotland; ya wee prick. But seriously, if you’re not learning Max, then someone is gaining on you and will leap frog.