Far from calming down, the situation between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has remained tense since what happened at Monza and with the Russian Grand Prix about to begin.
The dispute for the world title is not going to lose intensity. It is something that has been clear on and off the track, since the competitiveness of Mercedes and Red bull It is very similar and none of the protagonists has made the decision to redirect the situation.
So things, Max verstappen and Lewis Hamilton arrive in Sochi separated by five points in the championship… and by a world outside the car. On Thursday afternoon we had one more sample, as neither of them missed the chance to send a message to their rival.
“The truth is that I do not pay attention to what these individuals say”
Max Verstappen began by responding to Hamilton’s criticism of his lack of concern regarding his condition after the Monza accident, arguing that “I got out of the car, looked to my left and no doubt he was trying to back up, checking the wheels and trying to get out from under my car. I think he’s fine, because the next day he flew to the United States to attend a gala.
For its part, Lewis hamilton He responded to Verstappen, Helmut Marko and other Red Bull members who claim that Mercedes and Hamilton put on a show after the accident.
“The truth is that I do not pay attention to what these individuals say”said the British pilot. It is normal that when a car lands on your head you are going to have some kind of discomfort. Like I said, I was a bit sore after the race.
The pressure
Hamilton then alluded to the pressure Max Verstappen is feeling, hinting that what happened at Monza was due to it. Obviously he won’t admit it, and I’m not going to make a guess, but I remember how it was when I had my first title fight and it was difficult. It was intense. I went through a lot of different emotions and I didn’t always handle it in the best way. And that is to be expected.
“There is a lot of pressure: you are working in a great team. There is a lot of expectation and pressure because the desire to win is enormous. So I empathize and understand it »Lewis Hamilton said.
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“We all have to be smart and know that there is a time when you are not going to make a corner and it is about making sure you live to fight the next one. And it is through experience you find that balance and you know that not everything is won on a curve ».
Claims to which Max Verstappen later responded with some derision. Yes, I am so nervous that I can hardly sleep. It’s horrible to fight for a title, I really hate it, yeah. No, I’m very relaxed with all of those things and I can’t really get upset, you know, I’m very calm. Having a great car with which you can fight for a victory every weekend is a great feeling.
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“Those comments just show that you don’t really know me, which is fine., I don’t need to know him. I just focus on myself and I really enjoy being upstairs and of course I hope we can do it for a long time, “he concluded.