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The last time Hamilton and Verstappen were next to each other on the grid
- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are back together on the front row of the F1 grid for the first time since 2021. That year, the two fought an intense battle, with starts not always going smoothly. A look back at the last starts with these ruffians side by side.
Hamilton alongside Verstappen
Three thousandths. That was the difference between Hamilton and Verstappen in F1 qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Briton squeezed everything out of his W14, ensuring Mercedes' first pole position in 2023. It is also Hamilton's first pole since 2021, when he took pole in Saudi Arabia.
The last time Verstappen and Hamilton were side by side at the start of a Grand Prix was prior to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Then it was Verstappen on pole, but squandered it to his rival with an inferior start. The rest is history, as Verstappen ended up winning that race after all.
For the last time Hamilton started on pole with Verstappen on P2, you have to go back even further in time. The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix is the last time this happened. Verstappen was the winner at the first corner, where he surprised Hamilton with a late outbraking move. Hamilton would win the Spanish GP though because of good strategy by Mercedes.
The last time before that, was in 2020. Hamilton would then start ahead of Verstappen at the Russian Grand Prix. It never becomes a battle, as the Dutchman has a lousy start and even has to leave Valtteri Bottas in front. Bottas wins that race, ahead of Verstappen. Hamilton comes third, mainly due to a time penalty for incorrectly performing a test start before the race.
Silverstone 2021
Yet there is one other moment that comes most clearly to mind when it comes to a start between Hamilton and Verstappen. The one at Silverstone, of course. The sprint race starts Hamilton from pole, but on the first lap Verstappen outsmarts his rival. It hurts the Briton, who will do everything in his power to recover on Sunday. So does Hamilton, but with the result that Verstappen has to go to hospital.
Since 2021, the rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen has increased dramatically, and duels in 2022 and 2023 show that the two have not forgotten each other. Thus, the duel between the two in Brazil 2022 was also on the edge. With Hamilton and Verstappen both having little to nothing to lose, it can't help but produce spectacle in Hungary. 618 metres it is to the first corner. The question is who will brake last? The last two times it was Verstappen.