“You’re seeing Max really perform exceptionally well”– Lewis Hamilton thinks his more experience over Max Verstappen is not an advantage.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are intensely battling for the 2021 championship, and even after 14 races into the season, the difference between the two is only five points.
During the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton claimed that his experience of winning the championships with Mercedes on six occasions will help him battle against Verstappen, who is yet to have his first championship.
SPOOKY: 💥
1995 – Title rivals Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill collide in both the BritishGP and #ItalianGP, 2nd crash in 5 races.
2021 – Title rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collide in both the BritishGP and ItalianGP, 2nd crash in 5 races.
🤯#F1 pic.twitter.com/C5gyWDGn5Q
— Motorsport Stats (@msportstats) September 12, 2021
“This year you’re seeing the closest battle we’ve seen for some time,” Hamilton said, back in May. “You’re seeing Max really perform exceptionally well and he has a championship-winning car,” he added.
“Without doubt, and a championship-winning team who can really pull off the job this year if we don’t do our job. I definitely think our experience will help us as we approach our weekends and how we battle back from difficult weekends.”
“And I think from my side, I would like to think that experience will help. But at the end of the day you just have to do the job. Minimal mistakes, and reliability is also going to be a big deal this year.”
It is not relevant now
Hamilton, four months later, has now contradicted his previous statement by claiming that his experience as a world champion is not relevant in the championship battle of this year.
“I would not know in what way experience fighting for the world title would be an advantage,” Hamilton told the Formula 1 Magazine. “Max is just a top driver.”
“In the junior categories, he already proved to be a champion and in each of those classes you increase your experience. I am no less under pressure than Verstappen because I have been World Champion once.”
