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Hamilton praises Verstappen: 'Keep doing what your doing'
- Sam Godber
The huge rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has lessened after 2021. Verstappen's car is simply too fast, or conversely, Hamilton's car is not competitive enough. While Hamilton can only occasionally fight for a spot on the podium, his old rival wins race after race. The seven-time world champion believes Verstappen is doing "an extraordinary job at Red Bull Racing".
Hamilton and Verstappen fighting less
In 2021, Hamilton and Verstappen often ended up in a wheel-to-wheel battle, but since then that has become less and less. The Briton has been without a win since the 2021 Saudi Arabia race and Verstappen has won no fewer than 29 times since that race, a huge difference. In an interview with Blick.ch, Hamilton is asked about Verstappen. "What do you want to hear? All I can say is: 'Keep doing what you are doing'. Max is doing an extraordinary job at Red Bull at the moment", Hamilton responded.
Are Hamilton, Alonso and Verstappen the best?
Currently, Hamilton, Verstappen and Fernando Alonso are the only three world champions in the F1 field. These three drivers are doing remarkably well in 2023 and are also a lot better than their teammates this season. However, according to the Briton, he, Alonso and Verstappen are not of a completely different level to the other drivers in Formula 1.
"I would never say that. All the drivers who are here are doing well, but everyone has different demands, expectations and challenges. I see a lot of similarities between young Lewis and the young drivers of today. That's great. Fernando, Max and I are generally competitive and will go furthest to achieve our goals. About their personalities, I can't say anything. I have never sat in the living room with them," Hamilton says.