Lewis Hamilton refutes ongoing hostility with Max Verstappen, labeling their recent clash as merely a “racing incident.”
Upon finishing third in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton secured the 200th podium of his Formula 1 career, setting a new benchmark in his own record. Beyond this remarkable statistic, the Mercedes F1 driver made a point to pay tribute to all the people who have helped him reach this stage today, especially the McLaren team which enabled him to enter the sport and that scored a one-two finish this weekend at the Hungaroring.
“The number doesn’t matter, no. I just think about those two (Piastri and Norris) and their youth. They were in diapers when I started, so… No, honestly, it makes me reflect on the entire journey and all the amazing people I’ve had the opportunity to work with. You know, I signed with McLaren when I was 13 and I’ve always had a lot of love for this team and for the journey we’ve had, where I won my first world championship, and then they went through a very tough period, so seeing them back on top is really, really great. I’m very happy. You know, it’s my old family, so I’m really, really grateful to have shared the podium with them. In the end, I think the race was tough and I really didn’t think I would get this 200th podium. It’s not a bad statistic, but I couldn’t have done it without all these great people I’ve worked with in these two teams.”
But before stepping onto the podium, Hamilton could have lost a lot following a spectacular clash with his rival Max Verstappen, which ultimately ended without a retirement. For the Briton, it’s a racing incident, but that doesn’t stop him from delivering a neat swipe at the Red Bull driver.
“From what I recall, we were overtaking a backmarker. I reached the braking zone, and Max appeared to overtake the car behind me, so I moved to defend. I left enough room on the inside, but Max locked up and his line was different from mine. I was heading into the turn and he was going straight. It felt like a racing incident. It’s easy to make such mistakes. So, I don’t think there should be any hostility. But of course, from his side, there will always be some.”
Regardless, the seven-time world champion did not expect to have the pace to compete with Red Bull in the race.
“No, I think in terms of pace, we weren’t as fast as them. Unfortunately, we are still not able, especially in hot conditions, to keep up with these guys. But in the first stint, I was really surprised to see that I was able to hang on to Max. And I didn’t even need to push too hard to stay within about a second of him. So, at that moment, I thought I might have a chance to fight for that position. But in the second stint, it was a bit of a disaster, I didn’t feel comfortable. And the true pace of the car began to show, I think, with these hard tires. But we obviously got the undercut, and track position is clearly key on this circuit. That’s what made the difference.”
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Hamilton Verstappen Clash Dubbed ‘Racing Incident’ Hamilton Verstappen Clash Dubbed ‘Racing Incident’
