Lewis Hamilton: ‘When I Was Younger, I Was as Aggressive’ as Max Verstappen

Lewis Hamilton, who grew up to become a record-equaling F1 world champion, took a moment to look back at the initial phase of his career.

The Briton, similar to his rival, Max Verstappen, had faced several criticisms for his aggression on the track. Of course, who could ever forget Hamilton’s ugly duels with his 2008 title rival, Felipe Massa! Now, after all these years, Hamilton potentially became the reason for Verstappen’s intense high-speed crash around Copse at Silverstone.

Hence, in a bid to move away from the bad light, the seven-time title winner decided to compare his on-track aggression with the Dutchman.

Ahead of the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, the Mercedes champion did acknowledge being aggressive over his early days in F1. However, he opined that he wasn’t as aggressive as Verstappen, who he reckoned was forcing him off the track very frequently during races in 2021.

What did Lewis Hamilton say?

According to Motorsport Total, Hamilton opened up about his ongoing battle for the title with Red Bull’s leading Dutch driver, Verstappen.

“For me, it was a normal fight,” he said. “When I was younger, I was as aggressive as Max. Maybe not quite like that, but also quite aggressive. Now I’m older and I know it’s a marathon and not a sprint. I can better assess how I feel about the races must approach.

“But we’re in a duel and I think Max was very aggressive this year. I mostly had to back off to avoid an accident and hope for my chance later in the race,” the 7-time world champion added. (Translated via Google Translate)

Max, one of the most aggressive drivers: Hamilton

There is no denying that the two title contenders have experienced close on-track action so far this season. However, their luck ultimately dried out at the British GP, with Verstappen taking the biggest blow of the two.

Amidst the heating-up rivalry between the two, Hamilton didn’t shy away from laying his opinion on the Dutchman’s aggression.

“I would say that Max is one of the most aggressive drivers. That’s my personal opinion,” Hamilton said.

For the first time this season, Hamilton and Verstappen caused chaos on the track, and this certainly isn’t the last time either. So, will 2021 induce more such collisions between the two, triggering what could be one of the ugliest rivalries in F1? Well, we’ll know in time.

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