Max Verstappen Cold Shoulders Lewis Hamilton for “Experienced” Icon While Picking His F1 Dream Team

Over the course of the last few years, barring 2023, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have shared an epic rivalry. The friction between the duo reached its crescendo in 2021 when the title was decided in the final lap of the season finale. Despite all that, they both hold each other in very high regard, knowing really well each other’s capabilities behind the wheel. However, when it came to picking his dream team, Max did not have the Briton on his mind.

It was not too long ago when Lewis, in an interview, ruled out any animosity with Verstappen. In fact, he went a step further and told that he respected him for what he had achieved despite being so young. However, Hamilton was uncertain whether Max considered him a rival. The Dutchman put his doubts to rest when asked in an interview. He revealed how they both, like everyone else, enjoyed themselves together at Sebastian Vettel’s farewell dinner.

In a recent interview with Mobil 1 The Grid, they asked Max who his two drivers would be if he was a team principal. The reigning champion answered, “I find that really hard to try this because I think there are a lot of good drivers and I would go probably for an experienced one. So I would go for Fernando [Alonso]. And then I would take a young guy and I would put Lando [Norris] in the car. Yeah, Fernando and Lando.”

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Given how Mercedes was able to show some signs of resurgence towards the end of last season, Red Bull will be wary of the looming threat. After all, a man like Lewis Hamilton cannot be kept silent for too long.

Max Verstappen & Co. warned of the Mercedes threat for the 2023 season

After 8 years of unchallenged dominance, Mercedes finally came to its knees in 2022. The team to do it was Red Bull. And the man at the center of it all was their golden boy, Max. However, despite struggling to cope with the new regulations, the Silver Arrows registered a win in Brazil. That was important for them to gain their confidence back ahead of the 2023 season.

In a recent Sky Sports Germany article, they quoted Ralf Schumacher as saying, “We should have Mercedes on our list. They managed to bring their car back in the budget without test drives and to recognize the deficits. They also have a very strong driver pairing.” [Translated using Google]

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However, Ralf also reiterated that despite all of it, Red Bull remains the team to beat. Do you agree with his assessment?