Max Verstappen Receives Huge Compliment From His Rival In a Typical Lewis Hamilton Manner

Max Verstappen won the drivers’ championship this year with 4 races to go. He helped his team win the constructors’ championship the following weekend. He even went on to break Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher’s joint record of most race wins in a season. Such has been the dominance of Red Bull’s golden boy that even rival Lewis Hamilton couldn’t help but shower praises on him.

Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher set the record for most wins in a season (13) in 2004. Sebastian Vettel, in his best-ever season (2013) matched that record. Even in his most dominant years with Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton could not match that tally. Max Verstappen, however, in his second title-winning season this year did not just break the record but is threatening to build one that will be very difficult to beat in the coming years.

Lewis Hamilton hails Max Verstappen on a successful season

After almost a decade-long dominance, Mercedes have finally fallen down the pecking order. Not only have they lost the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, but they are also finding it difficult to climb to the runners-up spot. Acknowledging Max Verstappen’s superior driving prowess this season, Lewis Hamilton recently praised the Red Bull driver.

Speaking with Sky Sports F1, Hamilton said, “I can’t say that I’ve had time to study every aspect of what Max has done this year, but I think he’s done an amazing job.”

“He’s done everything that he had to do. The team provided him with an amazing car and he’s delivered pretty much every weekend,” he continued.

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“He can be proud of the job that he’s done. I know what it feels to be in a position like that. He’s got a chance to win more races, the next two races, so he could take that record that he’s now taken even further if we can’t stop him, or Ferrari can’t stop him.”

Hamilton expresses his engineers’ concerns ahead of the Brazilian GP

Mercedes has shown considerable improvements since introducing the last changes of the season to the W13 in the US. Not only have they beaten Ferrari on both occasions since then, but they have also challenged Red Bull for victory. Lewis Hamilton’s engineers aren’t too confident ahead of the Interlagos fixture, though.

Speaking with Sky F1 ahead of the race weekend, Hamilton said, “I don’t think my engineers feel too confident that the car is going to be spectacular here, because of the altitude and the downforce.” 

The 7-time world champion, who won the race in a spectacular fashion last year, however, remains hopeful.

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Will Mercedes continue to challenge Red Bull and Max for victory in Brazil? Or will the Flying Dutch build on to his race wins record?