Quote:
Originally Posted by Artemis
All the bickering is to no avail. The past is the past, this is now.
We got the benefit that in a decade or so, we can all say that we have witnessed the rivalry on tracks between Hamilton and Verstappen.
Some food for thought. Hamilton has indisputably a monumental race career featuring countless trophies, titles and records. One of the greatest F1 drivers ever. However, despite all that greatness, excellence and vast experience, there happens to be a dude 12 years his junior who keeps stopping him in his tracks to win even 1 single race or Sprint ever since passing the chequered flag during the 2021 Saudi Arabia F1 race (Dec 5, 2021). It's that same rascal, time and time again.
Now, to be capable to stop a force of nature, Hamilton the man himself, takes either extreme luck or super talent, or both.
Hamilton is ultra in F1. But ever since the 2021 Abu Dhabi F1 race (Dec 12, 2021), Verstappen consistently shows being nec plus ultra in F1. And that could be Verstappen's real claim to fame in the future, regardless of all trophies, titles and records that he will have collected by then: "I raced against Hamilton - The Man, The Legend - and ended his P1 era".
Brief review: "F1 2021: An Unforgettable Season" (shown during the F1 2021 awards ceremony) (08:06):
Extended review: "The Eight And One - Verstappen vs Hamilton F1 2021 Season Review" (1:23:47):
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If people want to blame who made Max how he is now, it's Mercedes and Hamilton.
2021 was one of the most difficult and hardcore championship battle ever, where one mistake could cost you the championship, it made Max come under pressure ever single race where he had to give 110% to beat Hamilton.
After that season, Max evolved into someone who had gone through most likely the absolute worst stress and walked away with a win and championship.
Which is why if anyone were to challenge him in 2024 and beyond, he would be stress free, pressure free as all he wanted was a championship, and he got it. Now he just drives for fun, and as you can see with the rest of the field, not many drivers can drive with that much pressure. RUS flew into a wall in Singapore, Charles in 2022 crashed in some races on his own, Perez falling apart after Miami, binning his car at Monaco.