When it rains, it pours, and this is exactly what is happening with Max Verstappen! The Dutchman blew the competition away with a record 15 race wins and a world championship to go along with it. Thanks to the dominant run, Verstappen is collecting awards one after the other. However, when it came to fellow drivers, Verstappen couldn’t get the vote of approval from Lewis Hamilton.

One can speculate that the Mercedes man would’ve been desperate to take the fight to Verstappen following the events of 2021. Instead, the Brit experienced a difficult and grounding season thanks to the poor state of the W13. We are not sure if there is still any kind of animosity between the two, but there are definite signs of it.

One sign, one could say, was Hamilton’s non-participation in the driver’s vote to determine the best driver on the grid amongst each other. After collecting the vote for the best driver from the team principals, the grid also voted Verstappen the best. Also similar to the championship, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished behind the Dutchman.

The Mercedes men, Hamilton and Russel, finished joint third in the vote. This was a vote for the drivers from the drivers. However, Hamilton was the only diver to abstain from voting.

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One could read into it and say there is still animosity between the two drivers because Verstappen is the only choice. Or we can take Hamilton’s word for it.

Lewis Hamilton opens up about his relationship with Max Verstappen

After the 2021 heavyweight bout, there was a lot of drama surrounding the two world champions. However, Hamilton put an end to all the rumors and speculation while talking to Sky Sports F1.

He said, “For me and Max when we see each other in the paddock, things are normal. We’re fighters out there. There are no friends on the track. What is really important is that when we get out [of the car], we are human beings and we keep that respect.”

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Vote or not, there is plenty of respect between the two, despite the on-track rivalry. Just another Formula 1 rivalry!