Both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were protagonists of a season-long championship battle, which saw Max prevail in what was believed to be the most hotly contested championship battle between two drivers. Max overtook Lewis on the last lap of the last race after a plethora of controversies to win the championship trophy.
Both the drivers were also part of crashes, one in Silverstone and another one in Monza, which triggered a lot of boiling points and induced off track battles between both teams.Â
On the other hand, in the current 2022 season, Max is seen to be battling Ferrari’s Charles LeClerc for the championship, and Horner has commented on their wheel to wheel battles as being different than with Lewis. Horner said that Max and Charles have known each other since they were kids, and that there is mutual respect between them since the beginning. Christian then went on to point out that he has never seen Lewis recognise Max’s ability or talent.
Battling Lewis Hamilton in 2021
Horner also mentioned that Max was never “in awe” or “afraid” to race against Lewis and to get into a championship battle with him. He said that Lewis deserves full respect for the way he has shaped his career. Their battle stopped being restricted to only on track racing and went on to get personal when the Mercedes driver was seen celebrating after his silverstone win despite Max being in the hospital following a crash that saw him face an impact of 51Gs when he collided with Lewis on the first lap itself.Â
With things taking a turn and both the teams going at it against each other, it was highly unlikely either one to give the other any praise. It was the first time since 2016 when someone challenged Lewis this closely, which is something that could obviously have ticked Lewis off, and then Max also went on to win the championship.
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