via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Canadian Grand Prix – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada – June 17, 2022 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during a press conference ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix REUTERS/Chris Helgren
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Canadian Grand Prix – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada – June 17, 2022 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during a press conference ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix REUTERS/Chris Helgren
A cooldown room is a place for some friendly chatter between drivers after the race is over; although, it is usually followed by palpable tension. This Austrian GP cooldown room saw this hostility between the rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Lewis and Max in the cool down room 😂😂 @pitstopfracas pic.twitter.com/CgZkWJWRxn
— 🇨🇩🇸🇱 (@F1avs) July 10, 2022
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Hamilton entered the room after the race where the Dutchman was already present. The Mercedes driver went through the procedure of weighing himself. He then put his helmet down and walked out only throwing Verstappen a quick glance in his direction. Trying to find a reason to scurry away, Verstappen was left to ponder alone.
The duo was locked in an intense battle last season. Their rivalry peaked in the final round of the 2021 season. The animosity between the two was clearly still there as the off-track fire still prevails from either camp.
Twitter reacts to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s cooldown room interaction
A time for drivers to engage in some easygoing conversations, reflecting on the race gone by, the cooldown room rarely sees such steely encounters. However, at this Austrian GP, there was no communication; only silence. The interaction between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, or lack thereof, had fans reacting to it on the internet.
lewis is so effortlessly funny 😭 pic.twitter.com/vQd8jtbRTz
— Marina (@xxoMarina) July 11, 2022
Merc pit stop. – 4.3s
Lewis’s time in the cool-down room – 3.2s— mercedes.f1motorsports (@MF1motorsports) July 11, 2022
— mercedes.f1motorsports (@MF1motorsports) July 11, 2022
Although the interaction was awkward, it gave the fans something to laugh at.
The body language:
Max: “OMG OMG OMG it’s him, act normal, act cool, focus on the tv, I’m a WDC winner*, breathe, breathe”.
Lewis: “Ugh, this toxic, cheating, phony champ, Buh-bye 💀”#F1 | #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/fq0a1K1LPv
— Henry Mill (@_HenryMill) July 11, 2022
max waiting for charles and lewis in the cooldown room #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/DXjhZCi65J
— lav ×͜× WAS BAPTIZED BY HARRY (@fearlessf28) July 10, 2022
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Just me or are Max & Lewis pretending the other’s not there throughout the cool-down room & podium celebrations? #F1 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/Rris4dOgkq
— Chittaranjan (@Chittaranjan) July 10, 2022
Who knows why Hamilton was so upset with Verstappen. However, whatever the case, it looks like their rivalry is heating up once again.
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In the meantime, Verstappen comfortably leads the drivers’ championship. He has twice the number of points as Hamilton this season, at 208. Verstappen is also 38 points ahead of his current rival, Charles Leclerc, who is trailing behind in P2. The next race in France provides him another chance of extending his lead atop the driver’s standings, or a chance for the challenger in red to catch up.
