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Max Verstappen has played down his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton, insisting he does not need to be compared to the seven-time Formula 1 champion.
They famously faced off against one another in the thrilling 2021 title race which went down to the final race. Verstappen won in controversial circumstances and, since then, the two have rarely been in direct competition.
Red Bull established their dominance over the rest of the grid when new car design rules came into force from 2022. And last year was their most successful yet, winning all but one of the 22 races while Verstappen romped to his third consecutive title.Mercedes, on the other hand, have not been able to challenge having produced two cars that team principal Toto Wolff called “divas”. That lack of a challenge from Hamilton is perhaps why Verstappen does not consider the relationship between them to be a rivalry.
“I don’t need that kind of rivalry,” the Dutchman told The Times when quizzed on the subject. “Of course, we want to beat each other but, honestly, once we’re in a private setting it’s like just normal guys.”
Hamilton is now 39 but has signed up to two more seasons with Mercedes in the hope of a shot at an eighth title. Even without it, he remains some way ahead of his most recent title rival with the seven he has, as well as the all-time record of 103 race victories.
Verstappen has three championship successes and 54 Grand Prix wins to his name. But, at the age of 26 and with Red Bull looking well-placed to be dominant until the next major tweak to the regulations in 2026, time remains very much on his side to match or even surpass Hamilton’s vast achievements.
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But that, he insists, is not what motivated him. Verstappen enjoys winning and would like to continue dominating the sport, but catching and beating Hamilton’s career record is not a specific target for him.
He added: “If it happens, it happens – but you need to be lucky to be in a great car for a longer period of time. You’re very dependent on the material you have. When I won my first title, I said everything that comes next is a bonus.
“Realistically, in F1, I’ve achieved everything that I wanted to achieve. Being on the podium, having a pole position, winning a championship. These kinds of things were my dream to achieve in Formula 1. From now on, I’m just trying to stay on top.”
