Ahead of the 2023 Austrian GP, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton made a claim that didn’t please Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. These claims suggested that the FIA should introduce a common date when all teams could start their development, to avoid a repeat of Max Verstappen’s dominant season. The Dutchman, however, responded harshly, by reminding fans that Hamilton didn’t complain when he was the one dominating F1 with Mercedes.
Max Verstappen has won six races out of a possible eight so far this campaign. His Red Bull teammate, Serio Perez emerged victorious in the other two outings. The Milton-Keynes-based outfit’s dominance has been clear, and no one has come close to threatening them in any way or form.
Lewis Hamilton believes the FIA should select a date from which teams are allowed to start on next season’s car development to prevent some getting a head start. 👀 pic.twitter.com/oGADZTLqw3
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 29, 2023
Ahead of the Austrian GP, Hamilton made it clear that he wasn’t a fan of how Red Bull has already shifted their focus to developing next year’s car. He calls for the FIA to introduce changes so that this can be prevented. In response, Verstappen was blunt and brutally honest with a scathing reminder to fans about Hamilton’s hypocrisy.
Lewis Hamilton wasn’t complaining when he was winning world championships
As expected, reporters in Spielberg asked Verstappen how he felt about Hamilton’s comments. Unsurprisingly, the 25-year-old was unfazed, and simply said as per De Telegraaf that “Life isn’t fair.”
“I didn’t hear him say this when he won titles all these years, did I? Then it doesn’t seem appropriate to me now.”
It’s official! We are @F1 Champions of the World for the EIGHTH time. 🏆
Proud of every single member of this Team across Brackley and Brixworth that made this championship possible.
History makers, every single one of you. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2kT9lXGebQ
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 17, 2021
Verstappen went on to say that in F1, the engineering aspect of the sport should be respected. That means, if a team does wrap up its season quicker than the others, they have every right to shift its focus to making sure they are even better in the next campaign.
“It makes sense that this is said, but they should also remember what the situation was like when they won championships at Mercedes years in a row,” he added.
Hamilton clarifies his intentions after Max Verstappen fires back
As soon as Verstappen fired back at Hamilton, the pressure was on him to justify his comments. Many people criticized him for trying to bend the rules against Red Bull and Verstappen. To this Hamilton felt it was best to clear the air, and insist that he wasn’t targeting anyone in particular.
“This was not specifically intended for a person,” he said as reported by RacingNews365. “I’ve been through a lot here in the seventeen years. There is always a period of dominance. That just keeps going on.”
Regardless of how Hamilton feels about Verstappen and his dominance, it is likely that he will be miles off the pace behind the Dutchman at the Austrian GP unless Mercedes makes a miraculous comeback. Verstappen meanwhile, is looking to win the Grand Prix and extend his lead even further at the top.
