The British Grand Prix saw the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen escalate to a new level. Although both drivers did well to avoid collisions in previous races, nothing could stop the incident that saw Verstappen crash out after coming in contact with Hamilton.

While Hamilton won the race, he faced widespread criticism for his role in the incident and his celebrations. In fact, some fans wondered if he caused the collision on purpose to catch his title rival in the championship.

Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff admitted the Briton didn’t cause the accident intentionally.

Toto Wolff believes Lewis Hamilton is “beyond proving a point”

The rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen has been the highlight of the ongoing F1 season. Despite the Dutchman looking quicker than Hamilton on several occasions, the gap in the drivers’ championship is just eight points.

Although Hamilton is chasing instead of leading, his championship-winning experience is a lethal weapon in his arsenal. With 99 race wins, Hamilton is by far the most winning driver in the sport, which Wolff recently pointed out.

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Speaking to Autosport, the Austrian admitted his accolades ensure he doesn’t have a point to prove at all, especially by colliding with his direct competition.

He said, “I think he’s much beyond proving a point. He is a 99-time race winner, and seven-time world champion. There is nothing Lewis Hamilton needs to prove to anybody anymore.”

Why is Lewis Hamilton Not Very Popular Among the British F1 Fans?

Wolff: Long-term strategy is important

The 49-year-old believes Hamilton’s strengths lie in his racecraft and ability to play the long game. In addition to that, he believes a pattern of conceding positions in races to secure points finishes has been seen in Hamilton’s duels with Verstappen.

He said, “I think part of his [Hamilton’s] success is not only his race craft, but also his maturity. Long-term strategy is important in order to win championships because you need to score points.

“It has come to a situation that ceding a track position has been part of the pattern of the last few races. This time neither of them conceded and it ended up in a heavy collision.”

With the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, that intense rivalry will be put to the test once again. Can Hamilton reclaim the championship lead with a record-extending ninth win at the Hungaroring? Or will Verstappen bounce back after notching his second DNF of the season?

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