Lewis Hamilton has commented about long-time rivals Max Verstappen after controversy during last month’s Hungarian GP and it appears that he was spot on about the Dutchman
Lewis Hamilton claimed that Max Verstappen could have courted even more controversy at last month’s Hungarian GP – and has already been proved right.
Last month’s race was at the centre of a storm between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris was sitting in second place heading into lap 45 before pitting for fresh medium tyres.
That saw him claim the lead from teammate Piastri, who also pitted two laps later. McLaren engineers instructed Norris to give the position back to his teammate but he was reluctant to do so.
He claimed that he felt that way due to his ongoing battle for the F1 championship with Verstappen. He eventually relented, leading to the McLaren one-two in Hungary.
Asked about the incident ahead of the Belgian GP, Hamilton claimed that his fierce rival Verstappen would simply have refused to relent. He said: “It’s not my call to make. I mean, if that was Max, he wouldn’t have let him pass. I don’t know what to say. It’s not for me to decide.
“If I was in that situation, I would do what the team asked me to do, as hard as it is. Ultimately, because it’s not about you. It’s about the 2,000 people that you’re representing and working with.”
Ironically, there has already been an incident of a similar nature involving Verstappen. The Red Bull star ignored team orders during the 2022 Brazilian GP to let Sergio Perez through.
The pair had swapped places earlier in the race to allow Verstappen the opportunity to overtake Fernando Alonso. He was unable to do so, however, so Red Bull requested a switch back.
Max Verstappen did not let Sergio Perez pass at the Brazil GP in 2022 ( Image: Getty Images)
“Max, let Checo through please,” said his race engineer. At the end of the race, the engineer asked Verstappen why he had decided not to follow orders. He replied: “I told you already last summer, guys, don’t ask that again to me. Okay? Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons, and I stand by it.”
Perez was left furious by Verstappen’s actions at the time, particularly with the Mexican still chasing second in the drivers’ championship. Verstappen had already been crowned champion for the campaign.
“Thank you for that guys, thank you,” Perez said over the team radio before adding: “This shows who [Verstappen] really is.”
Perez was eventually pipped by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in 2022 as he finished third after two wins. He followed that up with a runners-up spot last term but he now sits seventh after a miserable time of things over recent times.
