“I try to understand their background”: Lewis Hamilton discloses how he analyses his rival Max Verstappen’s character

Lewis Hamilton says that he takes time to understand his competitors’,  including Max Verstappen’s background and character.

Hamilton is in the middle of an intense Championship battle with Red Bull driver Verstappen. This season, the two have pushed each other to the limit and have treated fans to some extraordinary racing. The former leads the latter by just 8 points, with two more races to go in 2021.

The 7-time World Champion Hamilton recently said that Verstappen’s brilliance did not take him by surprise. He said he is far more experienced in the sport and has raced against similar drivers in his long and glittering career.

The Mercedes driver also admitted that he spends time trying to analyze his rivals’ character and background. He added that he had done the same for Max Verstappen.

“He’s not the only driver I’ve raced against that’s like this,” Hamilton said. “I’ve raced so many drivers in my time, and they’ve all been very different in the way they behave. And it’s interesting.

“Now I’m older, and I look a little bit deeper into their character and a bit of their background, upbringing. Our upbringing is why we act out the way we do and behave the way we do, good or bad.

“So I try to understand those so I can have more appreciation of who that character is I am racing with.” he added.

Also read: Former F1 World Champion analyzes body movements of Lewis Hamilton to indicate that he’s still wary of Max Verstappen’s comeback

Lewis Hamilton speaks about how his dad’s words help him in F1 today

The 36-year-old is arguably one of the greatest drivers of all time in F1. He feels that a person’s past shapes them up in ways that determine how they act in the future.

He went on to say that he was bullied frequently as a child. However, his dad’s words of wisdom and advice have made him the person he is today.

“It’s just how my dad raised me.” he said. “He said to always do your talking on the track.”

“I was bullied as a kid, both at school but also on track, and we wanted to beat them the right way, not by a car falling off or colliding with a car.

“Then there is no denying that you’re better. If you have collisions, they can say, ‘Oh, yeah, but this happened, this is one tactic that that driver has’.

Also read: Max Verstappen takes a dig at Lewis Hamilton over the latter’s fine for loosening his seatbelt at the Brazilian GP

“I want to be the purest of drivers, through speed, through sheer hard work and determination, so there’s no denying at the end what I’ve accomplished.”

The 2021 F1 season will conclude after the Saudi Arabian GP next week, followed by the finale in Abu Dhabi.