2021 was a blessed year for F1 fans as we finally got to see an amazing title battle going down the wire. The rise of the challenger protagonist in Max Verstappen was the perfect development in a cinematic plot of a season-long battle. Max had the aid of the ideal package to take the championship. Yet, he needed to implement relentless tactics to tackle the reigning champion, Lewis Hamilton. Although, Max has got given his newer rivals the same treatment in 2022.

In a special season review show on Sky Sports F1, pundits and experts discussed how Verstappen raced Hamilton differently. Former F1 driver, Karun Chandhok, explained how Max needed to make a strong statement while fighting Lewis in 2021.

As per Sky Sports, Chandhok said, “Lewis [Hamilton] is the king of the castle and he has been this generation. Max [Verstappen] felt that he had to assert himself against Lewis, knock him off his throne.”

Karun further elaborated on how Max’s 2022 rival, Charles Leclerc has raced with Max earlier and is a friend of sorts. He added, “Whereas he sees Charles [Leclerc], George [Russell], Carlos [Sainz] as his peers and that’s why he races them differently.”

Leclerc, Russell, and Sainz all belong to the same racing generation, unlike Hamilton. So Verstappen may have more affinity towards his peers. It naturally may lead the Dutchman to not be as aggressive with his peers as he was with Hamilton in 2021.

There were notable crashes and collisions between Hamilton and Verstappen in Britain, Italy, and Brazil last year. Besides these major crashes, the duo also has several other skirmishes in Spain, Imola, and Saudi Arabia.

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Either way, the 2021 title battle is etched in everyone’s memories as a classic F1 fable. Although we did not get a sequel to it, there is still hope that Hamilton comes back for his redemption to reclaim his throne in 2023.

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Lewis Hamilton will be seething to get back to winning races, after what was a frustrating 2022. And it may have been additionally hurting him how his rival dominated the year, while he stayed winless. But, if any driver-team duo can turn the tables in such a dire situation, it is Hamilton and Mercedes.

The late-season pace of the Silver Arrows will be encouraging for fans to hope that Hamilton will be back to tackle Verstappen in 2023. The Red Bull is probably the best car right now and is expected to be quicker come Bahrain 2023. So if Lewis and Mercedes have to make a difference, their development over the winter will be of utmost importance.

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In other words, the Brackley team may have to develop at a 2x rate to match the dominance of the RB18. But on the driver’s side, Hamilton will be looking to make a storming start to the season. Irrespective of whether the car is faster or not, the 7-time champion will be looking to redeem himself.

Lewis’s goal will be to show how he can still reclaim his champion status by beating Max convincingly. Yet 15 wins later, the Dutchman is not the same driver Lewis last tussled with, in 2021. So, Lewis also needs to have his tactics to take down Max in a season-long battle.

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It will be a combination of team prowess and driver ability for these two titans to triumph over each other. While Mercedes and Hamilton may have been quiet in 2022, their bounce-back ability is one of the best. What do you think? Are we in for a storming battle between Hamilton and Verstappen in 2023?