Verstappen responds to Hamilton
During the press conference before the Russian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen responded to Lewis Hamilton's statements regarding the pressure of being a championship leader. He also addressed the criticisms against him following the accident in Monza.
The tension is rising before the Russian Grand Prix. After their collision in Monza, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton blamed each other to identify the main culprit. They were forced to retire. It’s the second time the two drivers have collided during the season. The first time was in Silverstone. Verstappen eventually had to retire from the race, while his rival won it.
During the press conference, Hamilton warned Verstappen about the pressure a driver leading the championship can have, citing his example when he won his first title in 2008 with McLaren. The Dutch driver sarcastically responded to the current champion’s comments.
« Yeah, I’m so nervous, I can barely sleep. It’s so horrible to fight for a title. I really hate it, yeah. »
More seriously, Verstappen prefers to keep to himself. He does not want to be disturbed and mainly enjoys having a competitive car to fight for victory. It is the first time since the hybrid era that Red Bull is able to compete with Mercedes.
« No, I think that if someone really knows me, I’m very relaxed about all these things and I really can’t be bothered. You know, I’m very chill. It’s the best feeling ever to have a car that can fight for victory. Whether you are leading a championship or not. His comments [Lewis Hamilton], it just shows that he doesn’t really know me, which is fine, because I don’t need to know him. I just focus on myself and I really love being at the front and of course, I hope we can do it for a very long time. »
The crash in Monza is still on everyone’s mind. When asked if he would change his approach in a similar situation, Verstappen believes it goes both ways. He then addressed the criticism he faced right after the accident. Indeed, some were surprised to see him leave without checking if Hamilton was okay. In response to the journalist, Verstappen did not deem it necessary given the circumstances and took the opportunity to make a cheeky comment about his rival.
« Well, I mean there are a lot of hypocrites in this world, that’s for sure. I jumped out of the car, looked to the left and he [Hamilton] was still trying to reverse, shaking the steering wheel and trying to go under my car. I think he was perfectly fine. Flying to North America on Monday or Tuesday to attend a gala, I think you only do that if you feel well, so I think already there, everything was under control.
Verstappen arrives in Sochi with a five-point lead over the seven-time world champion in the drivers’ championship. But the Dutchman will be penalized three grid places on the starting grid. At Mercedes, in one of his favorite circuits, to take advantage of this.
