‘It’s not something that fuels me’ - Verstappen downplays rivalry with Hamilton

Verstappen and Hamilton locked horns throughout the 2021 F1 season in a titanic battle for the drivers’ championship.

The Dutchman ultimately came out on top after overtaking Hamilton on the final lap of the season finale in Abu Dhabi. 

Verstappen would win his second title unchallenged, however, the pair still came to blows at the penultimate round of the season in Brazil.

With Mercedes expected to return to their pre-2022 form in 2023, F1 could be set for another incredible battle between Verstappen and Hamilton.

However, when asked about his rivalry with Hamilton and Mercedes, Verstappen expressed his wish for Ferrari and McLaren to be serious title contenders, not just the German manufacturer.

“It’s not something that necessarily fuels me,” Verstappen told CNN. “There are more great brands out there as well, like Ferrari and McLaren. 

“I hope all these great brands can fight for a title one day together. It’s something F1 wants and needs.”

One other unlikely conflict that surfaced at the end of last year was with Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.

Verstappen refused to move over for his teammate in Brazil even though Perez was in a tight fight for second in the drivers’ championship against Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen hinted that Perez spun on purpose earlier in the season in Monaco to ensure he secured track position for the race.

Perez would go on to win the Monaco Grand Prix, with Verstappen finishing third.

Despite a brief falling out, Verstappen has insisted they are “professional enough to move past those things”.

“It's been really good, we get on really well,” he said. “We're going on our third year together now. For the team it's important that we can work together and bring the team forward.

“We are professional enough to move past those things. We're racing drivers, sometimes emotions they go high. But that's normal. I mean we are full of adrenaline after a race too.”