Lewis Hamilton was one lap in Abu Dhabi away from becoming the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time, however a controversial safety car procedure from disgraced race director Michael Masi means that the Brit is currently tied with Michael Schumacher on seven championship victories.
The beneficiary of Masi’s controversial decision making was Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who overtook Hamilton on the final lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to claim his maiden F1 title.
Since then Mercedes have struggled to be competitive, while Verstappen was able to comfortably cruise to his second consecutive championship aged only 25.
Hamilton’s on track battles with Verstappen in 2021 were explosive to say the least, with the pair colliding on numerous occasions, and fans were reminded of this last month at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where the Dutchman received a penalty for his wheel-to-wheel antics with his 37-year-old rival.
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Verstappen will have to win another five championships just to match Hamilton, and the Mercedes driver has now suggested that Verstappen’s jealousy over his success in the sport is the reason why he seems to target him.
“All you have to do is listen to the words that certain individuals say about me, and then also just look back at the way those individuals behave on track around me,” said Hamilton.
“It kind of shows you that is, most often, a little bit different to others.
“Part of it is, I’m sure, to do with the time that I’ve had here, the experience I’ve had here, the success I’ve had here.”
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The seven-time world champion finished the 2022 season in sixth place and winless, as Mercedes struggled to get to grips with the major changes in regulations that came at the start of the season.
Team principal Toto Wolff has explained that the team know exactly where they went wrong at the start of the season, but solving their porpoising issue stopped them from developing the W13 for the first half of the season.
Hamilton will be hoping that his team can provide him with a much more competitive car in 2023, as he looks for a record breaking eighth world title to silence those who are doubting him.