With rivalries running deep in F1, the sportsmanship sentiment can often get lost in translation. Given the emotional side of things, many people forget to uphold the spirit of competition and glance over one’s achievements. But the case wasn’t the same with Christian Horner when Lewis Hamilton raced to his 104th F1 win in Silverstone a few days ago.
Quoted in a report by Pit Debrief, the Red Bull team principal was respectful of Hamilton’s achievement and congratulated the Briton for the same. After an intense battle till the end, Horner claimed Hamilton was a deserving winner of the race. Thus, the British engineer showed respect by taking his hat off for his countryman.
“We take our cap off to him today. He did a very, very good job.”
With a sixth different driver winning a race this season, Christian Horner also reflected on the broader significance of the win. A continued shuffle at the top makes Horner feel like the sport of F1 has never been in a better place.
104 pic.twitter.com/JeJufz9hG7
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) July 8, 2024
Additionally, with a variety of race winners, the sport’s appeal is also growing among the fans. Many race venues are witnessing a record number of audiences as they expect a new winner with every race.
Nonetheless, the focus presently remains on Lewis Hamilton, with Max Verstappen also joining his boss in congratulating the Brit.
Max Verstappen joins Christian Horner in celebrating Hamilton’s win
Just as they crossed the chequered flag, Max Verstappen was the first driver to congratulate Lewis Hamilton as they drove side by side during the cooldown lap.
The #44 driver mirrored the gesture by applauding the late charge by Verstappen, which almost cost Hamilton a race win. However, that wasn’t the only friendly moment between the two.
Max Verstappen was the first to congratulate Lewis Hamilton on his victory, great, Max pic.twitter.com/w3uZ5Q92Cb
— Ferrari update (@F1picturesDm) July 7, 2024
In the post-race interview, the Dutchman again appreciated his fiercest rival from 2021. Conceding Mercedes had better pace, Verstappen also admitted that Hamilton drove a good race and was deserving of the race win.
Additionally, the duo also shared a hilarious moment together, one that was not televised. While in the cooldown room before the trophy ceremony, Verstappen jokingly remarked, “Been a while” to Hamilton.
The comment was in reference to Hamilton beating Verstappen for a race win for the first time since 2021. In response, Hamilton continued the joke as he referred to Verstappen as a “ball hogger.”
