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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen once shared a hostile rivalry – but have the feelings changed of late?
1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Lewis Hamilton is starting to respect Max Verstappen amid his late injection into the F1 title fight. Verstappen has dramatically closed the deficit to the championship leader across the last handful of races, cutting a 104 point margin in September to 36 points after the Mexico City Grand Prix last weekend. The Dutchman is seen as an outside bet in the title fight with four rounds remaining as he seeks to beat both McLaren drivers to the championship. Verstappen once endured a tense rivalry with Hamilton when the duo contended for the 2021 F1 title, clashing on several occasions. Villeneuve mentioned on the Sky F1 podcast that Hamilton may not be as bothered now if he hurts Max’s championship chances as he was two years ago. Despite finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix, marking his sixth consecutive podium finish, Verstappen’s resurgence has made Hamilton acknowledge his achievements and racing prowess. Hamilton’s 10-second penalty in Mexico for gaining an advantage off the track while battling Verstappen and settling for eighth place was seen as justified by former F1 driver Martin Brundle, who felt the penalty was necessary for fair racing.
