Today, Max Verstappen would leave no stone unturned in his bid to outdo Lewis Hamilton on the track, but there was a time when he would idolize the Briton. Not a lot has been discussed about Hamilton being Verstappen’s hero over the years, perhaps due to their recent rivalry in F1. But an interview with Verstappen revealed that he looked up to the seven-time World Champion.
In 2007, Hamilton was an F1 rookie competing for a historic first World Championship, and Verstappen was a 10-year-old, obsessed with racing. AD, a Dutch media outlet, recently revealed the contents of one of Verstappen’s first-ever interviews, in which he referred to Hamilton as his “big hero“.
As such, he was disappointed when the Briton didn’t emerge victorious in his quest to become the first-ever rookie to win a title. “He shouldn’t have put his car in the gravel trap in Shanghai,” the source quoted a young Verstappen as saying.
“his big hero is Lewis Hamilton. “I also think Kimi is good, sir”
So AD posted Max’s first interview he did at 10 years old being smart at maths as well! pic.twitter.com/wyMVXDaEsC
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) November 20, 2024
Of course, Verstappen was discussing Hamilton’s infamous blunder at the 2007 Shanghai GP, which ultimately cost him the Championship. Running in a good position to end the afternoon with a smile, Hamilton beached his car on the gravel while pitting for new tires as the McLaren crew watched on in horror.
In the end, Hamilton lost the 2007 title to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen by just one point — a point he most certainly would have gained had he not messed up in Shanghai, as Verstappen suggested.
From being an idol to being his rival
Verstappen made his F1 debut just eight years after he discussed Hamilton’s mistake. By that time, the Stevenage-born driver had won two World titles, and over the next few years, Verstappen would share the grid with him while the Briton added five more to his collection.
Presumably, watching his childhood hero earn silverware after silverware sparked more hunger in the young Verstappen to succeed, which he ultimately did. The Dutchman always had the talent, something the interview from AD revealed—his school teachers knew that even though he was good in studies, racing was his true calling.
As soon as Verstappen got hold of a Championship-level car, he took the fight to Hamilton. All the admiration went out of the window and the gloves came off. In 2021, following a historic tussle for the crown, Verstappen won his first-ever World Championship.
