Verstappen explains difference between dueling Leclerc and Hamilton
Last year, there were regular fireworks on the track between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, resulting in a number of hard crashes. This season, things are a lot calmer between the Dutchman and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen explains why.
Last weekend at Silverstone marked one year since Verstappen's hard crash after being hit by Hamilton at Copse. Although the Dutchman has already forgiven his rival, the seven-time world champion had to draw a comparison with a similar duel with Charles Leclerc. According to Hamilton, the fight with the Ferrari driver was a lot better.
Verstappen has since responded to Hamilton's sneer in a sharp manner, but the Dutchman also seems to be better off battling Leclerc without leaving any debris behind. In an interview with The Guardian Red Bull Racing's star explains why that is.
"It's all about margins, how much respect you have for each other on the track. I've known Charles for a long time, I've raced against him a lot more so I think we understand each other a bit better," Verstappen explained.
Verstappen has no preference
That has come across well during the first few races of the season, when the two were very evenly matched. Although they battled each other for much of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, there was not a single crash.
Despite this, Verstappen does not care which driver he has to fight against for the title. All that matters to the Dutchman is that he comes out of the fight a winner. "That's the most important feeling!"
The stupid comments on here, lol.
Max caused the Crash at silverstone, take the blinkers off. Ham already had the line. Max had tons of space to the left. But chose to turn in and caused his own accident just like that idiot perez against Russell. Red bull love turning in. Max caused the Crash at Monza and should have faced a one race ban. But his friend massi let him off. Max is no world champion.
Also max never got 51g of impact, he would be a pancake. Human body maxed at 9g and thats for a second or two.
Chinese driver crash was much worse.
As for the Ham haters, one if not the cleanest drivers there is. Races to win like you should.
Once leclerc catches max on points, let's see how friendly max is.
Most of the evidence people are referencing here unfortunately seems just as useful from the other drivers point of view when you pretend to support/like the other driver for a moment. It's impossible to remain objective if you're a fan of any kind.
One things for sure though its only great to appreciate hard fought racing when they are still on track. Respect should go both ways period, not because you're familiar or have raced with another driver a bit better!
Is it that he hasn't decided to divebomb or miss his braking point y 50 metres?
Hahaha. Max. Grow up and be honest. You were trying to take down the most successful team/driver combo in the history of the sport. In a marginally slower(?) car.
So you got your elbows out. Beyond the extent you would with ANY other driver. You had to. It was required to win.
This year you have a superior car and the confidence of.a championship. So you don't have to drive as brutally aggressively as last year. This year, you'd have exited copse in 2nd and raced from there. Same for Monza. You were more committed/desperate to win.
Its pretty obvious that Max fears the best driver in F1 just listen to his reaction when he came out of the pit behind Ham at Montreal Canada.
The cars are different in 2022, designed for closer racing and when they are closer racing it would seem there is no longer a need to lunge into corners hoping that someone will back off
Difference was between Max and Lewis the two were head to head. With leclerc it's not really racing. Max in his rocket ship has mostly been in front. We seen today's sprint. Max was 2 1/2 seconds in front after 5 laps. Ferrari is no match for that. So we don't see any racing against Max and leclerc. That's the difference. He is probably happy he is not racing Lewis, then he knew he had a challenge on his hands.
Max is done with Lewis, he is just keeping up appearances. Meanwhile Lewis continues being a bad loser.
Main difference is Leclerc is trying to actually race his opponents, not trick them into getting a penalty, or push them in a yield-or-crash situation. Leclerc is a harder but more respectful racer than sly Hamilton, who races instead of playing mindgames on track.
Harder my toe. Max's car is faster so they are not racing plus max DNF 2 races leclerc I lost count. So ho often have they actually raced each other? Max was not good enough for Lewis and was always extra agressive towards Lewis. Brake testing. Landing on top of Lewis so that he couldn't finish. Leclerc is no where near max these days with that rocket ship that was 2 1/2 seconds in front after 5 laps in the sprint. Yet you and his fans will say he has not got the fastest car. And that Lewis is past it. Well max must have being past it until last year as he was never a champion. Lewis has not got a car to race. That will suit Redbull fans as they know if Lewis has a car max will panic and scream at his team for help, and become agressive again. He does not need to be agressive with leclerc.
We got far better, more respectful, more entertaining racing in only two races with Leclerc and Verstappen, than an entire poisonous season with Verstappen vs mind-games Hamilton. And it was Hamilton who made one mistake after the next until he got his spicy engine. Max beat him, and you, the Hamboy, can’t handle it. Keep crying like your fave driver.
Hamilton either missed the apex on purpose, or his driving has deteriorated to the point that he misses apexes. Charles had oversteer snap yesterday and saved the car.....Hamilton's oversteer snap sent him into the wall because he couldn't react in time.
People miss the apex a lot. Even the beloved unimpeachable Max. Its not a sign of intent or degradation. Its just evidence of the line that all drivers put forward that perfection is unattainable. And at the limit is where mistakes happen. To all drivers.
Max not good enough for Lewis? Did you watch an old season? Who had more race wins in 2021? More podiums? And about the agressive driving, its excactly like Max has said. Le clerc has raced max many years and just knows him better and vice versa. Lewis is a fantastic driver but at this moment Max and Charles are in a League of there own
Leclercq is nowhere near max as lewis was last year, I have seen no wheel-to-wheel between the two, the fight between Max and Lewis was stellar in proportions compared to the DRS overtakes this year.
It was really the Silverstone 2021 incident that changed Max's attitude to Lewis. Before that there was at least tolerance if not mutual respect.
But as Max said, it's racing, life goes on. He doesn't care who he's racing for the win.
Spot on.
Of course Silverstone 21 changed everything for Max.
Would you stil respect anyone who deliberately crashes you in a wall with 51G, parties like never before while you are checked in hospital, gets punished for it and tries to put the blame on you again and again?
In DtS we heard Lewis say he hoped he learned Max a lesson in Copse. He missed his apex deliberately...
You would be a crazy man to have respect for such a man...
https://youtu.be/M4ongTQ2N0Y
See at 00:38 how max changed his racing line too early and tried to cut Lewis' line. Obviously it didn't work as he hoped and got him self in all the trouble. A crash at 51g or a punishment doesn't make it Hamilton's fault. It's not like the F1 race decisions are always spot on or never been made in favour of some teams
Spot on. Horner made the big issue of a 51g crash that the car experienced. Albon had more damage than Max in his last crash. You can clearly see Max looks at Lewis and then turns into him trying to force him out if the overtake. A wiser head would have let him pass there and saved himself to race another day. Up until then Max had won 5 to 3 and wanted desperately to keep the lead. Too desperately. The FIA said more Lewis's fault to almost the storm, but we all who really watch it closely, saw what Max did.
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