Max Verstappen once again showcased that he is a class above the rest as he dominated the Belgian Grand Prix despite starting in sixth. The Dutchman won the race in Spa and beat second-placed Sergio Perez by a whopping margin of over 22 seconds. With the 25-year-old showcasing his true domination, Lewis Hamilton hilariously compared him to a Dutch villain, Goldmember.
As for Verstappen, it seems unlikely that his dominance will stop anytime soon, considering the domination that Red Bull has showcased so far. The Milton Keynes outfit has won a record 13 races now (one last season), and Verstappen has won 10 of them this year, including the last eight in a row.
A perfect weekend in Spa 🇧🇪 We’ve been on it from start to finish @redbullracing 💪 The car was great 🚀
Thank you Orange Army, your support has been unreal 🙌 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/05mFAL5FWG
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) July 30, 2023
On the other hand, Hamilton struggles to even fight for a podium despite having the second-best car on the grid. Moreover, even at the Belgium Grand Prix, he struggled to finish fourth.
This is because he needed a first-lap incident between Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri to promote him up the order. However, the same cannot be said for Verstappen, who seems to find a way to win no matter where he starts on the grid.
Lewis Hamilton believes Max Verstappen “is smoking and eating pancakes“
Since Max Verstappen has been utterly dominant this season, Lewis Hamilton believes that the Dutchman has been “smoking and eating pancakes.” When asked if it has been too easy for the Red Bull driver, the Briton replied (as quoted by biz.crast.net), “What do you want to tell me? I haven’t spoken to him. He’s smoking and eating pancakes. You know the movie?”
The Mercedes driver referenced Goldmember’s villainous character in the 2002 American spy comedy movie, “Austin Powers in Goldmember.” In the movie, the Dutch villain asks the film’s main character if he would like “smokes and pancakes.”
This is a famous stereotype for the Dutch people, as many believe that they usually smoke and eat something sweet soon after. Regarding Verstappen, nothing seems to faze him as he has successfully passed all the hurdles that have come his way so far.
On the other hand, the same is not the case with Hamilton. The Briton would desperately want Mercedes to improve their car to help him fight at the front again, having failed to do so since the 2021 season.
Hamilton has failed to have any real battle with Verstappen since 2021
Since Mercedes has fallen so behind Red Bull in terms of development, Lewis Hamilton has failed to challenge Max Verstappen at the top since the 2021 season, the year the two fought for the title. This is because no matter how hard the Briton has tried this season, he has always fallen short because of the lack of Mercedes’ pace.
The same happened at the Hungarian Grand Prix two weeks ago when the Briton could not beat Verstappen despite starting on pole. As the Silver Arrows continue to struggle, Hamilton has repeatedly stated on several occasions that he wants Mercedes to focus on next year’s car, even if it means that he cannot win a race this year.
The 38-year-old seems to have a long-term mindset, where he has no problem sacrificing a few wins this season if it means he can have a car that is capable of him challenging for an eighth title next year. This is because if Hamilton does manage to win another championship, he will hold the record to himself since he is currently tied with legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher on seven titles.
