Ex-Formula 1 driver turned pundit Martin Brundle was left feeling “surprised and disappointed” with Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff, after the pair failed to show respect towards Max Verstappen’s record-breaking 10 consecutive wins.
The reigning World Champion fought hard last weekend at the Italian Grand Prix to claim his 10th win in a row, eclipsing Sebastian Vettel’s achievement of nine consecutive wins in 2013.
It’s yet another record which Verstappen has made his own, with him now just three race wins away from matching his overall tally of 15 wins last season.
His 10th consecutive win of the year last Sunday was his 12th of 2023, whilst it was also Red Bull’s 15th in a row.
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Nobody can stop the Dutchman or the Milton Keynes-based team, something which is clearly bothering Mercedes.
When pushed for his view on Verstappen’s record, Mercedes team principal Wolff insisted that records are for “Wikipedia”, whilst Hamilton declared that he was “no more impressed” in the 25-year-old’s achievement than anyone else’s in the history of the sport.
There was a real saltiness over the Silver Arrows’ reaction to Verstappen’s remarkable achievement, which certainly shouldn’t be looked over no matter how superior Red Bull’s current package is.
To put it into perspective, Mercedes as a team have only ever achieved 10 consecutive wins, something Verstappen has matched on his own.
Brundle clearly would’ve liked Mercedes to have shown Verstappen a bit more respect, with the ex-driver hailing the record as “truly something to behold”.
“For Max Verstappen to win 10 consecutive races, along with Red Bull taking all 15 races so far this season, it’s truly something to behold,” Brundle wrote in his column for Sky Sports F1.
“What an achievement to faultlessly keep up that level of performance and reliability on many different track layouts and in varying weather conditions, up against mighty opposition. Congratulations to each and every one of them.
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“If a tennis player or football or rugby team for example was so utterly complete and dominant, they would rightly be globally lauded at the highest level. As should this pairing be.
“Sport can and should be tribal, but you must surely also appreciate a level of excellence in others.
“So I was a little surprised and disappointed that Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff played down this achievement over the weekend because they rightly received their due reverence and appreciation during their years of total domination from 2014 to 2020.”