Max Verstappen remains laser-focused on securing his historic 10th consecutive Grand Prix victory at Monza this Sunday, a feat that could solidify his position as one of Formula 1’s greats.
However, a recent exchange of critical comments with Lewis Hamilton has added a layer of controversy to the upcoming race.
In a pre-race interview leading up to the Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton seemed to diminish Verstappen’s achievements at Red Bull.
He pointed out a perceived discrepancy in the media’s portrayal of their respective successes, citing an example from his own career.
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Hamilton stated, “It’s actually interesting because I was running this morning and I was thinking about this.
“The narrative that goes through the media.
“When I qualified half a second, six tenths ahead of Valtteri [Bottas, Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate], they didn’t say the same thing as they say today when Max qualifies six tenths ahead of [Red Bull teammate Sergio] Perez – it’s blown up much more.”
Furthermore, Hamilton questioned the level of competition Verstappen has encountered during his tenure at Red Bull, asserting, “In my personal opinion, Valtteri, and actually all my teammates, have been stronger than the teammates that Max has had.
“Jenson [Button], Fernando [Alonso], George [Russell], Valtteri, Nico [Rosberg] – I’ve had so many.
“These guys have all been very consistent, and Max has not raced against anyone like that.”
Verstappen swiftly responded to Hamilton’s critique, suggesting that the British driver might be experiencing a hint of jealousy.
In an interview with Dutch media, he said, “Maybe [Hamilton] is a little jealous of my current success.
“This kind of statement… he possibly thinks he’s winning something with that, but it makes no difference to me.
“I think Mercedes have a very hard time dealing with losing, after all these years of winning so much.
“You can keep shouting and screaming that what we do is not that special… you just have to deal with yourself.”
The controversy didn’t stop there, as former world champion Nico Rosberg also chimed in on the debate.
Rosberg acknowledged Hamilton’s point but considered it somewhat irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
He remarked, “It’s strange that Lewis does talk about that, like ‘my teammates were better’. Where did that come from? [It’s] a bit strange.
“But I do think he has a point. I mean he had three world champions as teammates.
“That says a lot, doesn’t it?
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“So I do think it’s correct.
“Nevertheless, it’s not really that relevant because we all know how amazingly awesome Max is driving.”