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“What went wrong with your careers?”- Reporter roasts Lewis Hamilton’s former teammate during interview involving Max Verstappen

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"What went wrong with your careers?"- Reporter roasts Lewis Hamilton's former teammate during interview involving Max Verstappen

At the young age of 25, Max Verstappen is already a two-time World Champion. His last two seasons in the sport have been monumental for very different reasons. Verstappen’s 2021 Title win came after a season-long intense battle with Lewis Hamilton, whereas in 2022, he completely dominated the sport.

He has already won more races than the legendary Fernando Alonso, and it is safe to say that he will break more records in the years to come. After the 2022 season, Verstappen appeared for an interview on Viaplay, which also involved his father Jos, and Hamilton’s former teammate Heikki Kovalainen. There, reporter Amber Bransten started the segment by taking a cheeky dig at the drivers other than Verstappen who were present there.

“Gentlemen, it’s a pleasure to have you here at the round table,” she began. “But I have to ask you, we’re sitting here with Max, two-time World Champion. What went wrong with your careers?”

This was a very abrupt question that made the Red Bull driver laugh, but Hamilton’s former teammate Heikki Kovalainen had an answer ready.

Also read: Max Verstappen claims to quit F1 if his kid aspires to be a racing driver

Drivers like Max Verstappen come once in a generation, says Kovalainen

Bransten asked Kovalainen if drivers like Verstappen were from another planet, but the Finn replied by simply stating that he was just unlucky throughout his career. Kovalainen explained how being Hamilton’s teammate never helped him gain confidence or improve as a driver because the 7-time World Champion was much better than him.

“To be fair, he’s one of those guys,” the former McLaren driver said. “That every now and then turns up in Formula 1. We’ve had a few of them in the past, but not many of them. And I’ve seen one guy very close, for two years when I was with Hamilton.

Kovalainen insists that he knows how it feels like to be a teammate of drivers like Hamilton and Verstappen. He praises them for their immense driving talent, but also feels that being on the same team as them is unlucky.

“Unfortunately, it’s as simple as I just couldn’t drive around the track as fast as he did,” he concluded.

Verstappen is currently contracted to drive at Red Bull until at least the 2028 season. If the Austrian team keep providing him with a car that is as strong as the RB18 was in 2022, the Dutchman will surely break almost all records.

Also read: Lewis Hamilton who has donated over $24 Million to charities reveals he is swamped with ‘cries for help’

    About the author

    Somin Bhattacharjee

    Somin Bhattacharjee

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    Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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