Max Verstappen has pointed an accusing finger at Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton, alleging a tinge of ‘envy’ following Hamilton’s sly dig about Red Bull’s internal rivalry.
As Max Verstappen finds himself teetering on the precipice of smashing the F1 record for consecutive triumphs, his grasp on the elusive tenth victory tightens with anticipation, poised to be seized if he can outshine Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in the imminent Italian Grand Prix.
The seven-time F1 champion has subtly implied that Verstappen’s current achievements lack the element of novelty, referencing the dominant eras of racing luminaries such as himself, Sebastian Vettel, and Michael Schumacher during this century.
He advances the notion that Verstappen’s former teammates, who have shared the cockpit with him in the past, have offered a lesser degree of competition when juxtaposed with the formidable challenges that Lewis Hamilton has valiantly faced and conquered throughout his illustrious and storied career.
Speaking to Dutch media, Verstappen said: “Maybe he’s a little jealous of my current success.
“This kind of statement… he possibly thinks he’s winning something with that, but it makes no difference to me.
“I think Mercedes have a very hard time dealing with losing, after all these years of winning so much.
“At some point, you have to be realistic and then you have to be able to appreciate what other teams are doing. We did the same when they were dominant and we also said, ‘We have to work harder because we are not good enough’.”
“You can keep shouting and screaming that what we do is not that special… you just have to deal with yourself.”
