The two drivers are heartily off the track despite racing on it.
Lewis Hamilton told Max Verstappen to “keep doing what he’s doing” as the seven-time champion paid tribute to the soon-to-be triple champion.
Verstappen could clinch a third straight title in Qatar this weekend – and it could come in a sprint if he finishes in the top six on Saturday. Red Bull’s fierce 2021 challenger Hamilton has been unable to challenge for wins or the crown as Mercedes struggle with the dirty cars as Verstappen has taken Hamilton’s mantle as the one to beat.
The 2021 battle was also between the two teams and fans on social media from the track, with the pair having three crashes and a controversial safety car that ended in Abu Dhabi and handed the title to Verstappen. Despite this, the two remained cordial, and Hamilton offered sage advice. Hamilton thinks “Max is doing great at Red Bull at the moment,” Hamilton told Blick. “The only other thing I can say about it is that he has to keep doing what he’s doing now. “Max, Fernando [Alonso] and I are often competitive and go the extra mile to achieve our goals.
I have no idea what their personality is like because I’ve never sat in a living room with them.” Hamilton also discussed how he grew from a 22-year-old rookie to a 38-year-old elder statesman. “It’s 16 bloody years, [from] my first year in Formula 1 when I was 22. I was still a kid, inexperienced, fast, but I wasn’t very comfortable in my own skin then,” he said.
“I explored my personality and who I want to be. I am much happier than I was then and I know who I am. “I know my goals outside the track and I would say that I have done a lot of things. exactly I enjoy what I can do. And we should all learn to never say never.”
