Lewis Hamilton refutes McLaren’s statements on Verstappen battles
Lewis Hamilton Refutes McLaren’s Statements on Battles with Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, publicly disagreed with statements made by Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal, regarding on-track battles with Max Verstappen. The controversy arose after the Austrian Grand Prix, where Verstappen and Lando Norris were involved in a fierce fight for the lead, reigniting discussions about the Dutch driver’s aggressive driving style.
In an interview with Sky Sports F1, Stella suggested that Verstappen’s behavior on track is a consequence of the lack of harsher penalties during the controversial 2021 season, when Verstappen and Hamilton intensely fought for the title. “I see that the entire population in the world would know who is responsible, except for a group of people,” Stella said, referring to the authorities who judged the incidents that season. He added, “The problem behind this is that if you don’t address these issues honestly, they will come back. They have come back today because they were not properly dealt with in the past when there were some fights with Lewis that should have been punished more harshly.”
When asked if he agreed with this view during the FIA press conference at Silverstone, ahead of the British Grand Prix, Hamilton was direct: “I don’t agree with that, no.”
The discussion did not stop there. Lando Norris, who was present at the conference, chimed in with a lighter note, saying, “I’m sure Lewis would have agreed with that two or three years ago!” Norris, in turn, defended Stella, highlighting the McLaren principal’s sensibility when addressing such matters. “There were definitely a few moments, especially, but on the whole, I’m always going to stand up for what Andrea said. I think Andrea has a great amount of sensibility in the way he speaks and about the things he talks about.”
Norris also acknowledged that while he partly agrees with Stella’s statements, perspectives can vary depending on the moment and the context involved. “Certainly, I think certain parts are true, and I agree with Andrea on that point, but certain things are always different when you’re more in the heat of the moment.”
Hamilton’s statements highlight the complexity of on-track battles and how perceptions of past incidents can differ. While Stella believes that the 2021 disputes between Hamilton and Verstappen should have been handled more strictly, Hamilton prefers not to revisit that past with the same perspective. The controversy underscores how decisions made during that season still resonate in the paddock, influencing opinions and strategies of current competitors.
As the 2024 championship gains momentum, Hamilton’s words and Norris’s defense suggest that the scars of past battles have not yet fully healed, and that the narratives of the past continue to shape the present in Formula 1.
