Lewis Hamilton congratulated Max Verstappen on a ‘perfect’ season as the Dutchman finished with his third consecutive drivers’ title; Watch all sessions of the Qatar GP on Sky Sports F1, with qualifying on Friday and the Sprint on Saturday where Verstappen could become champion.
Lewis Hamilton insists he believes in his Mercedes team and is optimistic about their future prospects.
Lewis Hamilton has praised Max Verstappen for his “phenomenal” 2023 campaign and said the Red Bull driver and his team have “raised the bar” in Formula 1.
Verstappen is set to win his third consecutive drivers’ title ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, and the Dutchman is likely to add to his win in the Sprint Cup on Saturday.
Since his controversial defeat to Verstappen in the fierce battle for the 2021 title, seven-time world champion Hamilton has rarely praised his rival.
When asked how Verstappen’s win would help his position in the sport, Mercedes’ Hamilton replied:
“I wouldn’t rank it. I think ranking people is a matter of opinion.
I think he’s earned his spot, he’s done an incredible job with the package he’s got.
Max Verstappen admits he could never have contemplated taking on some of sport’s greatest to win three world titles
“He and the team have been excellent this year, impeccable and I think they have raised the bar.
“As a team, we have to look at that and say, ‘okay, these are the areas we need to develop to be competitive with this.’
“Hopefully at some point we can fight them and put them on the defensive, but they should definitely take advantage of this moment because they worked hard for this.”
Hamilton:
Wearing a rainbow helmet in 2021 is stressful
When Formula 1 debuted in Qatar in 2021, Hamilton showed his support for the LGBTQ+ community by wearing a helmet emblazoned with the Progress Pride flag. The Briton admitted on Thursday that he finds wearing a helmet “scary” in a country where same-sex relations are illegal.
Hamilton wore the Progress Pride flag on his helmet during the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Hamilton, who has repeatedly used his platform to raise awareness of human rights issues, said that “everyone can do more” to improve the situation as Qatar begins its 10-year hosting agreement F1.
“I think it’s always good to make people aware of certain things, but it’s more about the work that’s done in the background, the conversations that you continue to have,” he speak.
“It is also a huge moving machine, not just for the people here but for the whole country – which is very young, especially in this part of the world.