Lewis Hamilton took a thinly-veiled swipe at his old rival Max Verstappen’s Hungarian GP radio outbursts, as the Mercedes driver also expressed surprise at the decision of the stewards in the collision of the pair in the same race.
Hamilton and Verstappen collided as they battled for third place in last Sunday’s closing stages at the Hungaroring in a race in which the Red Bull driver, who eventually dropped to fifth after the clash, repeatedly expressed his frustration and anger at him. team strategy and car performance through the radio.
During Mercedes’ Thursday media conference ahead of this weekend’s Belgian GP, Hamilton was asked how other world champions such as Verstappen should cope with the mid-season dip from the car, which is currently being experienced by champion Red Bull.
“You have to be a team leader, a team member,” Hamilton replied.
“Maybe not a team leader like that, just remember that you are a teammate with a lot of people and you have to act like a world champion.”
Asked to elaborate on the latter, Hamilton replied: “That’s a good question … It’s not like last weekend.”
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Verstappen expressed his frustration on Red Bull team radio after failing to secure a podium finish during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Verstappen, on Thursday, defended his actions on the radio, insisting that there was “nothing personal” to anyone he worked with at Red Bull and said that honestly worked for him and the world champion.
“People who don’t like my language, don’t listen or change the volume down. I’m very driven to succeed. I’ve proven that already,” said Verstappen.
“I always want to make the most of things. People can argue that you can’t be vocal on the radio, but that’s their opinion.”
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Verstappen reflected on the Hungarian GP and his ‘vocal’ frustrated reaction on team radio
He added: “We are very open-minded. We are very critical of each other as a team, and that has been used for us very much, so I don’t expect that to change.”
Hamilton was ‘very surprised’ by the stewards’ view of Verstappen’s collision
Hamilton, meanwhile, took issue with the Budapest stewards’ interpretation of the collision with Verstappen.
Although no driver was generally at fault for the collision which Hamilton himself has said was a “race incident”, meaning that no penalty was issued, the steward still suggested that the seven-time world champion “could have done more to avoid the collision.”.
“I was really surprised,” the Mercedes driver said of the full stewards’ decision, which was issued a few hours after the race ended.
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Anthony Davidson was on SkyPad to investigate who was at fault when Hamilton and Verstappen collided.
“I think we were very relaxed about the situation and just said ‘look, it’s just a race thing, let’s move on’.
“But considering one car is in control and one car is not in control at the time – obviously when all the wheels are locked, you are not in control – and if you look at the replay at the end of the move I am very, very far from the apex, so there is a lot of room on the side right.
“So, I was really surprised by the flight attendants. I don’t know who typed it, but…
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Hamilton said the exchange between him and Lando Norris didn’t bother him, and he didn’t take it personally, as he reflected on his own experiences during his youth in the sport.
Mercedes drivers ‘delighted’ with latest car upgrade for Spa
Although Mercedes didn’t have to accelerate at the hotter and tighter Hungaroring to repeat the race at the front from the previous race at Silverstone, which Hamilton won, the Briton’s third-place finish still extended his podium streak to five races in a row.
The former champion continued to improve the car in the improved W15, which Sky Sports understands will feature a new front wing, floor and wing beam at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend – the final round before F1’s hot break.
Hamilton has now recorded a podium finish in three of his last four events, having gone on a career-worst run of 12 races without a top-three finish, and the 39-year-old said on Thursday: “I feel good. I feel older than George (who he is 26 years old)!
“I still feel young, energetic, enthusiastic and happy to work with the team.
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Martin Brundle looks back at Lewis Hamilton’s challenging experience at Mercedes leading up to his breakthrough at Silverstone when he won.
“We’ve got some updates this weekend, so I can’t wait to see how it feels on the track. Hopefully it’s another step in the right direction and I’m excited for next season.
Russell, who won in Austria after the Verstappen-Lando Norris collision but retired from Silverstone with a water leak and then finished eighth after poor qualifying in Hungary, said: “Budapest confirmed that we did better in colder conditions than the race that more hot.
“Going to Spa, I think there is some rain, we have some upgrades, which is really exciting to see if we can take another step, after what we brought to Canada a few races ago and we want to fight for McLaren and the Red Bull.
“This is what F1 is about. We want to be in that fight.”
Live Sky Sports F1 Belgian GP schedule
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Take a look back at some of the most dramatic moments over the years at the Belgian Grand Prix
Friday July 26th
8.50am: Exercise F3
10.00: Practice F2
12pm: Belgian GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
2pm: Qualifying F3
14.55: Qualifying F2
15.45: Belgian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
17:15: F1 event
Saturday 27 July
8:45: F3 Sprint
11.15: Belgian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
13.10: F2 Sprint
14.15: Belgian GP Qualifiers
3pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualification Notebook
Sunday 28 July
7:25: F3 Feature Race
8.55: F2 Feature Race
10.40: Porsche Supercup
12:30: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP build-up*
2pm: BELGIAN GRAND PRIX*
16:00: Checkered Flag: Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 action continues this weekend with the final race before the F1 summer break, the Belgian Grand Prix. You can watch every session from Spa-Francorchamps live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with Sports Month Membership NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
