Often, F1 drivers are more than willing to speak their mind. And it’s good to have clear reactions but do the comments made by Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton underline needless criticism or hardcore facts. You decide!
Before the sprawling party life came along, before the globe-trotting adventures with Roscoe, and way before the dynamite success he stitched painstakingly in F1, Lewis Hamilton was once a newcomer on the grid, with absolutely no chance to cut any corners.
Had his life had been some 21st-century social media-viral meme, then it would’ve gone on to paint the left and right picture that would have the familiar texts: “what you see, what you really is!”
Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton’s true life in a meme
On the left would’ve been multiple shots of Lewis; him walking the ramp, serenaded by pretty buxom women, partying somewhere on the beach and on the right, shots of him taking the checkered flag, finding his car spiral out of control (say, German GP of 2019, for instance), lost in long conversations with Wolff and Lauda, and the little Lewis driving a cart.
This would’ve then obviously balanced the perspective we think through often hurriedly, that life’s all been hunky-dory for the multiple world champion.
But here is the truth.
When Lewis Hamilton was Max Verstappen’s age, he was busy competing with some of the best drivers on the grid. Of these, several were far more experienced and obviously, more competitive drivers.
But let’s cut it finely. When Lewis arrived in Formula 1, Jenson Button had already competed in 108 Grands Prix, Fernando Alonso was already a double world champion, and Kimi Raikkonen was in the peak form of his life.
To put it succinctly, Raikkonen and Button had already been competing in F1 for half a decade before Hamilton came along.
Moreover, there was no respite for the Briton from within his team.
Can life be ever accommodating when you have to race alongside Fernando Alonso?
But with 4 wins, 6 poles, and 2 fastest laps in his debut season at the very highest level, Lewis Hamilton did prove a point or two to anyone willing to take his talent lightly.
On top of that, the fact that the 2008 World champion matched his more experienced teammate in points gathered that season- Hamilton and Alonso tied at 108- etched a narrative in F1 that was about a man willing to dominate the charts from the word go.
But it doesn’t seem as if Max Verstappen has taken any note of Lewis Hamilton’s early F1 prowess before opting for some rather critical observations about a man who’s thus far, beaten established racers including anyone and everyone, such as Raikkonen to Vettel, Rosberg to Alonso, Webber to Massa.
The comments made by Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton- “Lewis hasn’t had pressure from a teammate”- seem to show a multiple world champion in poor light.
Moreover, they somewhere point to a somewhat snide nature that the famous Dutchman resorts to, especially when ‘competing’ off the track.
No Purist in Max’ Orange Army Would Deny This About Lewis
Lewis hasn’t had it easy in Formula 1. If he’s had a quick car for the better part of his career, then is it really his fault? Which driver, and there’ve been many who’ve paired alongside Alonso, have happened to dominate the sport nearly every time in his rookie season when the five red lights turned green?
Let’s take Kimi Raikkonen for example.
Back in 2014, one of the worst years for Ferrari and Raikkonen’s worst statistically in his otherwise checkered Scuderia run, the Finn collected only 55 points to Alonso’s 161. Ferrari’s last world champion was beaten fair and square by a man who failed to collect a world title with the Prancing Horse.
But if you were to view the sepia-tinted nostalgia days of McLaren in 2007, then you’d find Lewis do better than just drawing level with the great Alonso.
A consecutive run of P2 finishes on four back-to-back occasions, starting Malaysia, Bahrain, Spain, and Monaco established a world record run for a rookie driver, an achievement that not even the strong troika- comprising Vettel, Kimi, and Alonso happened to enjoy.
Did Lewis really have it easy, Max?
Since Verstappen seems gung-ho for comparisons, how about running through your own debut season, Max?
In 2015, his debut year, Max had 4 DNFs, no podiums and a best-place-finish of a P4 at the Hungaroring. Purely by virtue of a quick jog of the eyeballs, Lewis seems to have outpaced his younger on-track adversary.
But then, why resort to comparisons when these were two divergent eras, built on different car-set-ups, aerodynamic functioning?
To just think of consistent finishes among points, then Lewis outscores anyone leading driver, be it Vettel, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo on the count of least retirements in the past half a decade.
To give a fresh slice of evidence, then thus far, in 2019, he’s not retired once in his Mercedes.
So did Lewis really deserve Max’s caustic bite? One’s not sure if the Dutch driver has witnessed the 2016 championship which is absurd since the youngster was himself competing in it?
The very fact that Lewis went down fighting Nico Rosberg in a season where it all came down to the knife’s edge, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, does go on to show that Hamilton indeed have more than a strong competition. He, in fact, had no answer to curtail Rosberg’s surge to the world title.
Here’s what we conveniently ignore as we go on a Hamilton-rant
Having tasked with the challenge to prove himself almost immediately, Lewis Hamilton’s world had no time to engage in shenanigans.
There was no reason really to throw a comment on a rival. And above anything else, there was no time devoted and not an iota of energy spent on making any observation on anyone on Formula 1.
Champions don’t generally do that. Do they?
Today, if a Vettel, Raikkonen or Lewis come up with a sensitive statement, a diatribe or something that unwillingly hurts, then it won’t be from a space of entitlement but would warrant instant forgiveness. Because these are men who have against their names world championships, and above all, a hefty experience of contesting in adverse times, having tasted both victory and deprivation of race wins.
Truth be told, Lewis Hamilton emerged from a background that had absolutely nothing to do with Motorsport racing, let alone Grand Prix racing at the very highest level.
Moreover, the humble beginnings couldn’t afford the precariousness of wanting to punch above the weight. There was a lot to achieve, a championship to be aimed at, wins to conquer, friends to make, friendships to savor.
Sadly, in Max Verstappen’s case, it does appear that despite all that god-gifted talent, there’s hardly any respect for a fellow driver, when he’s in fact, a way more experienced contestant and above all, a multiple world champion.