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Days After Max Verstappen’s “Drift” Show, Lewis Hamilton Takes $2,700,000 Beast for a Spin to Show Off His Skills

Published 09/12/2023, 10:00 AM EDT

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Here precision and control reign supreme, and just when you think you’ve seen it all, two of its brightest stars, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, decide to dazzle us off the main track. With Verstappen trading in his Red Bull racer for a drift lesson, Hamilton responded in style. Hot on the heels of Max Verstappen‘s daring “drift” show, Lewis Hamilton, not to be outdone, climbed into a different kind of beast. Instead of drifting, though, Hamilton got behind the wheels of a monstrous machine – the $2.7 million hypercar – the One, a fusion of speed, technology, and sheer audacity, for an electrifying spin.

Setting the scene, it was only a few days back when Verstappen’s recent adventure saw him at Milton Keynes, learning the art of drifting from none other than the drifting maestro ‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett. Piloting a modified 600bhp ‘MADBUL’ Mazda, the Red Bull racer tried his hand at various drifting challenges. Among them were the thrilling Figure 8 and Scandinavian Flick. However, the most eyebrow-raising was the ‘Horner Corner’ – an unconventional challenge where Verstappen had to drift perilously close to cut-outs of Christian Horner, without actually running him over. Describing the experience, Verstappen confessed, “It was very crazy. It’s not what I do normally. But it was insanely cool.”

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However, the F1 world doesn’t rest. The circuit might have been silent this past weekend, but Hamilton and George Russell weren’t. Shifting gears from Verstappen’s drift to the Mercedes test track in Immendingen, Germany, Mercedes-AMG’s Playground became the backdrop for Hamilton and Russell’s escapades.

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Their weapon of choice? The $2.7 million AMG One hypercar – a pinnacle of automotive engineering that boasts an F1-inspired hybrid power train, turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6, and four electric motors, delivering a mind-boggling 1,000+ hp. It’s no drift car, but Hamilton certainly made it seem so, admitting, “I was getting some drifting through the slaloms.”

As Hamilton savored the roaring might of the One, making sure to echo the audacity of Verstappen’s recent drifting expedition, it sets the stage for where both competitors will not only push their cars to the limit but also their array of driving skills. Speaking of jaw-dropping ventures outside traditional F1 tracks, one might recall another escapade of Max Verstappen’s from a few years ago.

Max Verstappen’s icy escapade

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A couple of years back, Verstappen took thrill-seeking to a new level when he braved the icy GP Ice Race circuit at Zell am See Airport, Austria. Armed with specially designed spiked tires, his F1 car seemed out of its element but put on a show that was both exhilarating and comical. Notably, it wasn’t Verstappen’s first time turning a racecar into a snowmobile; he previously dazzled fans by navigating Kitzbühel’s slopes in the RB7 back in 2016.

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“This was my first time on the ice with a Formula One car,” Verstappen reflected, “It was very interesting and quite slippery… but it was a lot of fun.” It’s worth noting that during this frosty venture, the champ sported the coveted number ‘1’ on his car, a symbolic nod to his championship status.

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As Verstappen continues to push boundaries both on and off the tarmac, one can’t help but anticipate what’s next. Perhaps a North Pole Grand Prix in the near future?

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Written by:

Vidhita

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Vidhita is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports. Driven by her deep passion for motorsports and a love for the exhilaration of speed. Since 2016, she has been captivated by the world of F1 after watching a race with a relative, and her fascination has only grown stronger over the years.
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Edited by:

Aishwary Gaonkar