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via Reuters

Lewis Hamilton would not have imagined how difficult his 2021 title challenge was going to be. Eventually, it was grueling for the Briton as Max Verstappen tested his limits to the core. Despite no major battles in 2022, the duo still collided in Sao Paulo. Upon this, Verstappen was pretty vocal about his thoughts about the incident, for which he received a lot of criticism. Thus, the Dutchman had decided to be cautious about his notorious tussles with Hamilton.

Talking to Autosport exclusively, Verstappen cited how he needs to be careful while speaking about his incidents with Hamilton. He stated, “Well, I have to be careful what I’m saying here, but with everyone I’ve been fighting this year [2022], it’s been really hard, aggressive battles and we never really came together.”

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“Somehow, with Lewis [Hamilton] it’s a different story. And I honestly don’t understand. Like, this year, ok we haven’t really had a lot of battles. But [in] Brazil we got together – it was not my intention [that we crashed]. I got the blame for it, which I didn’t find fair.”

Max has been clueless about why he and Lewis have kept clashing together. The Red Bull driver reasoned that maybe it is due to their generation gap. Verstappen stated that if they could understand each other better, they can probably race in a nicer way.

via Reuters

Nevertheless, the Dutchman resorted to doing some damage control on his previous comments about these tussles. Max also mentioned how Lewis’s fans in England can take anything he says as criticism. Thus, it is important for him to watch his words about this topic.

Read More: “It Was the Other Guy’s Fault”: Debates Spark On & Off the Track as Nemeses Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton Inevitably Clash at Interlagos

Verstappen might be saying how his racing style works with everyone except Lewis. On the other hand, even Hamilton who has been racing without major incidents for years races Max differently.

How Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton cannot catch a break from Colliding Together

As Max Verstappen mentioned, the duo belongs to different racing generations. Hamilton has been part of the Alonso, Vettel, Raikkonen, and Rosberg period, who had their own racing style. This generation probably balanced aggression and defense. Meanwhile, Verstappen is from the young crop of Russell, Norris, Leclerc, and Albon who look to go all out and send it.

via Reuters

So, this generational gap can cause several issues. Besides the obvious difference in racing styles; the fighting drivers also get a rush to prove themselves better. This may be a factor that doesn’t let Max or Lewis breathe against each other.

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Both these drivers battle with several drivers every year. Still, when they have battled each other, be it in Britain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Abu Dhabi, every time a controversial incident happens.

It may be the star value of these two titans that their incidents gain more spotlight. Nevertheless, it is a crazy thing to witness incessant troubles when these two race wheel-to-wheel.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Most heated moments between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen

The Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry is reaching such a point that people anticipate a collision whenever the duo battles. No wonder there will be drama again if Max and Lewis will battle for the 2023 title. What do you think of the Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry?

Written by

Aishwary Gaonkar

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Aishwary Gaonkar is an F1 Author at EssentiallySports. Having completed his postgrad, he has set out to venture into the world of Sports Journalism. He is an ardent fan of F1 and has been following the most prestigious form of motor racing for over a decade now.
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Edited by

Varunkumaar Chelladurai