“We Could Think Mercedes Had Learned…”: Max Verstappen’s Father Rubs Salt on Lewis Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi Wounds With Cutthroat Statement

Max Verstappen has come out on top, once again. The homeboy got the better of the Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, thanks to a better strategic call from his team. Now, Verstappen Sr. has taken a dig at the Mercedes AMG F1 team following his son’s emphatic victory.

The race at Zandvoort was one of the rarest occasions in the 2022 F1 season where Lewis Hamilton was in a position to win a race. The Mercedes ace hasn’t won a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. It was finally the time to break the jinx until the Brackley-based team made a strategic blunder, similar to the one at the 2021 Abu Dhabi race.

As Verstappen once again got the better of his rival, his father stated, “Max rode with each type of tire and thus told his team which one worked best. Mercedes were good too, they had a chance to win.”

“But luckily it worked well for us. And we could think Mercedes had learned from last year’s race in Abu Dhabi, but apparently, that’s not the case.” (translated using google translate)

READ MORE: It Slips Through Your Hands: Lewis Hamilton Knocked Down By Mercedes Fiasco, But Has a Champions Response

“Max has now won 10 out of 15 races. What he’s showing is amazing. He’s got the upper hand for sure. But you should never think of yourself as rich until you’re rich.”, the father of Max Verstappen further asserted as reported by Next Gen Auto.

With these comments, Jos Verstappen took a slight dig at Mercedes on their 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix defeat.

How did the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP change the fate of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton?

Ever since the Dutchman picked up his maiden championship last year, he is on a whole new level. The Red Bull ace has picked up ten wins, and a total of 12 podiums in 15 races, out of which two were DNFs. On the other hand, Hamilton is yet to win a race and has picked up six podiums places.

Talking about the last year’s finale, it was one of the finest endings to a season. If the final race was a movie, it would have got an outstanding rating on IMDb. However, this is a sport, and it was no less than a thriller.

The entire season was all about Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, with Verstappen picking up nine wins as compared to Hamilton’s eight just before the last race of the year. With an equal 369.5 points, two of the finest drivers of this generation went head-on.

WATCH THIS STORY: Rihanna’s Relationship With F1 Star Lewis Hamilton Over the Years

What happened in the race is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Verstappen picking up his maiden F1 championship and seeing his dream run come to fruition by defeating Lewis was arguably a bittersweet moment for most F1 fans out there.