Civil War Tipped to Be Fast Approaching as Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton Issue Differing Opinions on F1’s Major Decision

Time and time again, we have seen different opinions emerge on different happenings in Formula 1. The paddock often gets divided, as it has again on the subject of increasing the number of sprint races. The fans are divided, and the paddock is divided over the change in format. But most importantly, the faces of F1, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen stand opposite each other in the future of the sport.

At a time when F1’s CEO, Stefano Domenicali, wants about one-third of the calendar to be sprint weekends, the drivers share a split opinion. While Max Verstappen threatened to retire if too many changes were made to the sport, Lewis Hamilton has been more welcoming of the proposals.

Verstappen, as quoted by the Mirror, said, “I hope there won’t be too many changes; otherwise, I won’t be around for too long.” On the other hand, Hamilton said, “I quite like the Friday of a Sprint weekend so far, and I’d love to have more qualifying because that’s always super fun.” Hence, a civil war appears to be on the horizon as Valtteri Bottas joins Verstappen‘s team and George Russell backs Hamilton.

The changes made to the sprint weekend have been said to bring more action for the new fans coming from the expanding markets. But more importantly, to boost viewership and revenue over the weekend. Evaluating the situation, Vincenzo Landino, on his podcast, says, “I get it. Totally understand where they’re at with this. Liberty Media wants to make money. You can’t fault them for wanting to make money. But it will be interesting to see how drivers and teams respond. Max Verstappen already was pretty lukewarm in his response about the sprint race.”

“But then you had Domenicalli say, well, there was a very positive reaction from the fans. So there’s like this very strong disconnect between the parties involved. And I just don’t want to see the product on the grid or on the track suffer because we want, you know, what do we want here? I do understand, though, that it now makes all three days somewhat, or not somewhat, but interesting.”

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We can only assess the reception to the new format after the circus completes the six scheduled weekends this year. Until then, nothing is substantial or finalized.

Valtteri Bottas weighs in on Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen, in his current form, appears to be unbeatable. And on the contrary, Lewis Hamilton appears to be losing his touch, as many experts believe. However, for Hamilton’s former teammate, Valtteri Bottas, the seven-time world champion is still the fastest on the grid.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast and quoted by Planet F1, the Finn says, “I think he’s still the quickest driver on the grid,” even when compared to the likes of Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. He cites Hamilton’s talent and determination for his prolonged success and consistency.

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The rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton seems to be written in the stars. One way or another, they manage to come across each other. Whose voice will win in the battle of sprint weekends? Let us know in the comments below.