Verstappen on Hamilton: Relationship isn’t “difficult”, “quite straightforward"

Verstappen and Hamilton infamously went head-to-head for the title in 2021, clashing on a number of occasions.

It ended in dramatic circumstances, with Verstappen benefitting from a poor decision from race control in Abu Dhabi to give him the opportunity to overtake Hamilton for the race lead on the final lap.

Since then, the pair haven’t had too many tussles given Mercedes’ struggles relative to Red Bull’s dominance.

However, they did clash again at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix when battling for second.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Verstappen was asked to give his opinion on a number of his rivals, including Hamilton.

“I don’t think we have a difficult relationship at all,” he said of Hamilton. “It is quite straightforward. It’s just that with others you have a closer relationship. It depends to an extent on how you live your life, and perhaps we are not similar in that regard. 

“Of course, we had a big rivalry in 2021 but ultimately we do have a lot of respect for each other.”

Verstappen also labelled Hamilton “as one of the greatest drivers ever”, reiterating his opinion that the British driver “has stood up when he needed to and made the difference”.

‘He is definitely up there as one of the greatest drivers ever,” Verstappen added. I have no need or desire to deny that.

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“Consistency is his key, and staying on top of his game. That is not so hard when you are so talented; it doesn’t take a lot of effort to do that. The way he has managed his championships is very impressive. 

“He has stood up when he needed to and made the difference.”