In Formula 1, there’s one kind of rivalry between people doing the same job – driver v/s driver, Team Principal v/s Team Principal. And then there are shrewd mind games when Team Principals of one team throw rival teams’ drivers off with provoking statements. To his bad luck, Lewis Hamilton, in the span of 1 week, has been categorized as a “diva” by a rival team’s boss, and Red Bull‘s Christian Horner has added fuel to that fire.

From the outside, one can conclude that the driver’s job is the most difficult. With them having to face the brunt from all 4 directions, a certain level of heartlessness is required to stay composed in the face of unabashed criticism. Commenting on this topic, Horner expounded on how drivers need to be ruthless and selfish. And while doing so, he seemingly built on Haas boss Guenther Steiner labeling Hamilton a “diva”.

In the latest episode of the TG1F podcast with Kate and Nicole, Steiner said that the Mercedes talisman is the biggest diva in the paddock. He said, “Biggest diva? I think Lewis.” Though Steiner, piloting a backmarker, has nothing to gain from Hamilton’s downfall, Horner sure does.

“Great drivers and those who are really competitive, those who succeed in F1, must have a ruthless and selfish character, otherwise they are doomed to lose,” explained Horner, as quoted by f1iautojournal. “But the challenge is to keep it under control. There is no room for a prima donna because at that point she becomes more important than the team.”

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These seemingly indirect mental punches play a big role when it comes down to the championship. But for Hamilton, this remark was due to make its way back to him after labeling Mercedes as one.

Past comes to bite Lewis Hamilton as “diva” remark about Mercedes doesn’t age well

Toto Wolff is a trendsetter. In 2017, the F1 car that his team had built – the W08 – was not as easy to drive as the previous turbo-hybrid ones. Thus, he branded the challenger as a “diva”. And 4 years after that incident, Lewis Hamilton extended that analogy in a bad way.

The Briton called his 2021 Mercedes W12 a “Monster of a Diva”. As they say- ‘Actions have consequences’. 2 years after that comment, when he is struggling to get a grip over his stumbling F1 career, such comments from a rival Team Principal must sting.

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Hamilton has been racing in F1 since 2007. By now, he knows that such external chatter shouldn’t be paid much heed. Nonetheless, this kind of intellectual swordplay is what makes the sport what it is.