The battle at the British GP was one that won’t be forgotten by fans. Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Sergio Perez- three abreast as they cruise through the Silverstone Circuit- a gap large enough for merely the air to pass between the speeding beasts. After an intense melee, Hamilton praised the Ferrari driver’s ability to keep it clean on the track. All while taking a dig at his 2021 rival, Max Verstappen.

As it goes, the rivalry doesn’t truly come to an end, does it? Amid the insurmountable jabs the two have taken at each other, no one thought the fiery exchanges would continue this season. Yet, alas, they have.

Hamilton had put it simply. Hailing Leclerc as a ‘sensible driver’, the seven-time champion cheekily added, “Clearly, a lot different to what I experienced last year. At Copse, for example, the two of us went through there with no problem, you know.”

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Now, as the battle moves from Hamilton’s turf to Verstappen’s backyard at the Red Bull Ring, a confident Dutchman retorted with a snarky reply. “I think it’s great that, when you’re 37 years old, you at some point know how to get an apex. He does learn, so that’s positive.” Verstappen concluded with a final punch: “I think it’s great that he has found the apex now.”

Safe to say, F1 fans loved the reignition of the 2021 rivalry. As the two camps formed again, team Verstappen and team Hamilton had their fair share to say.

Lewis Hamilton- Max Verstappen back-and-forth sets Twitter ablaze

As the interview made its way across the internet, the fans of the Red Bull driver were quick to put him on a pedestal. The Dutch Lion had seemingly won this scuffle as celebrated by his fans.

Team LH44, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate to bring out the receipts. Last year’s Brazilian GP was a common theme when Verstappen pushed Hamilton off the track as the two battled for P1.

The argument surrounding Copse could go on forever. Whose fault was it? Did Lewis Hamilton force his rival to spin into the barriers; playing fair now, in 2022, with a ‘sensible’ opponent? Or were the tensions of the 2021 season such that incidents like Silverstone, Monza, Brazil, and even Jeddah were just smaller nuances to a bigger storyline?

Regardless, 2021 rewarded the fans with a season to remember; although more so for the Orange camp. Now, the 2022 season presents a better stint- with no clear prediction of who will top the drivers’ board, F1 has gifted us yet another season of nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat entertainment.

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