F1 News
Hamilton: 'I didn't hear from Verstappen after the crash at Monza'
- GPblog.com
In a season in which Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have a fierce battle for the world title, the two rivals have clashed on several occasions. In Silverstone and Monza they caused some serious crashes. After the Silverstone crash, Hamilton called Verstappen, but after Monza Hamilton did not hear from the Dutchman.
Hamilton and Verstappen not talking to each other
Verstappen had to go to hospital after his hard crash at Silverstone. Hamilton called Verstappen, but both drivers stuck to their positions about the collision in England. However, after the two drivers collided again at Monza, which Verstappen was blamed for, Hamilton heard nothing from Verstappen.
"No, we haven't spoken," Hamilton tells ESPN. "I haven't heard from him." That Hamilton did call after Silverstone does not matter, according to the Briton. "Of course I called him then, but I don't think we need to. I know he will probably learn from the experience, as will I. I don't want to be condescending, but I'm much older and it was important for me to call and be able to break the ice."
Respect between the two rivals
Despite the fierce battle for the world title and the accompanying crashes, the Brit still has a lot of respect for the young Dutchman. "I think he's a huge talent and I enjoy racing with him. Whether I agree with everything he does? That doesn't even matter." That Verstappen did not contact Hamilton after Monza makes little difference to the Mercedes driver. "I wouldn't have been able to do that either when I was 25. I'm not hostile to him."
Winning the right way
After Russia, Hamilton again leads the championship with just two points difference to Verstappen. The battle could therefore well be decided in the final race of the season. What the seven-time world champion does not want in any case, is a decisive clash between the two rivals. "I would never want to win that way," the Briton was adamant.
"If that means not winning at all, at least you have your dignity," Hamilton continued. "You always want to win the right way. I love racing, I love fighting for the championship and at the end of the year that's obviously what I've worked for, so you can't say you won't be disappointed if you don't achieve what you're trying to achieve with the group of people you're trying to achieve it with."