After months of speculation, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes finally confirmed their continuing partnership. After announcing a two-year deal worth a staggering $127 million, all eyes were on Hamilton & Co. The seven-time champion refused to acknowledge his controversial 2021 defeat to Max Verstappen as a key motivator. He said it was not about revenge as he was not a “revenge person”. Seeing as he said that, you would think Verstappen wouldn’t have come up as a topic of discussion. But as with everything in 2023, the Dutchman’s dominance was bound to come up, and Hamilton took the bait.

There’s no doubt that Hamilton wants to become an eight-time champion and have what Verstappen has—a car capable of giving him that opportunity. But when asked about the Dutchman’s dominance, instead of appreciating his effort, Hamilton said, “In my personal opinion, all my teammates have been stronger than the teammates Max has had.” Well, Verstappen didn’t just sit back and listen. He hit back at Hamilton & Co.

Max Verstappen gives Hamilton & Co a lesson on losing with grace

Despite saying he wasn’t out for revenge, Hamilton undermined Verstappen and Red Bull’s effort and dominance. To return the favor, Verstappen simply said, “Maybe Lewis is a little jealous of my current success.” Considering Mercedes and Hamilton had their own run of dominance, the Milton-Keynes outfit’s reign should’ve been something they appreciated. Instead, they took a jibe at their rivals.

As per a YouTube video by The Race, the Dutch media asked Verstappen for his reaction. However, he shrugged off what Hamilton said in a typically dismissive tone. He simply said, “Just focus on yourself and accept that we’re doing a better job than you are right now.’” When Mercedes was at the helm of the sport, apart from working toward closing the gap, Red Bull never undermined the Brackley outfit’s superiority. Verstappen believes that sets the two teams apart—how they react to not being in front.

Read More: After Calling Out Lewis Hamilton’s Jealousy, Max Verstappen Pulls No Punches to Hand Blunt Advice to Arch Rival Amid Slump

As much as Verstappen could’ve said, actions speak louder than words. So, instead of verbally hitting back at Hamilton & Co. at the Italian GP, the Dutchman decided to do what he does best—prove himself on track. He did that by shattering Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 nine-race-win streak by winning his tenth in a row. Considering the monumental achievement, you would’ve thought Mercedes might’ve set its remarks aside and appreciated him. Well, what do you think happened?

Toto Wolff joined Hamilton in insulting Verstappen

Instead of taking Verstappen’s suggestion of ‘focusing on yourself’, Toto Wolff took another jibe at Red Bull and Verstappen. With the Dutchman winning 10 races in a row and Red Bull having won all 14 races of the season so far, together, they’ve achieved something no other pairing has ever done. 

Wolff has experienced his fair share of dominance and knows what it takes to stay at the top. He was asked what he thinks about the Dutchman’s record. Wolff said, “I mean, our situation was maybe a little bit different because we had two guys fighting against each other within the team. Those numbers are for Wikipedia. Nobody reads that anyway.”

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When do you think Lewis Hamilton & Co. will finally accept Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance for what it is—a remarkable, once-in-an-F1-lifetime occurrence?