F1

LEWIS HAMILTON’S rivalry with Max Verstappen has all the ingredients of an instant classic.That is according to British former racing driver Damon Hill, who described Hamilton and Verstappen’s feud as a ‘very volatile landmine’.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s rivalry is heating upCredit: EPA
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton crashed at the British Grand Prix
Hill also claims this tug-of-war will mark the ‘changing of the guard’ just like in 1994 when Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna butted heads.
The former Williams driver told the F1 Nations Podcast: “The conflict between Lewis and Max has created a very volatile landmine in the sport.
“The rivalry we are seeing is the changing of the guard for the future of the sport.
“Lewis is hanging on at the end of his career, whereas Max wants to go on and win world championships.
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“Lewis definitely has the mentality of ‘I want to stay and win even more and put the record further out of reach’. But he still hasn’t cracked Schumacher’s total.
“This is what’s going on in the heads of these drivers. This is the clash we see.
“We see a man who won’t let go, who won’t give up on a world title because it’s the last icing on the cake. And Max is going to try and stop him.
“And that’s where we saw Michael Schumacher coming on the trail of Ayrton Senna in ’94.
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” It’s great when you can achieve dominance, but there’s always someone new coming up. That’s worth fighting for, but you know time is against you.
“A new era will be someone else. And actually letting go of your position, your identity as the man, is pretty hard.”
The rivalry between Mercedes’ Hamilton and Red Bull’s Verstappen reached boiling point at the British Grand Prix two weeks ago.
Damon Hill claims Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s rivalry has all the makings of an instant classicCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The two Formula One stars crashed at Silverstone when the Brit tagged the rear right of the Dutchman’s car and sent him hurtling into the barriers at 180mph.
The hefty impact was measured at a G-force of 51G and understandably led to a red flag as he was picked out of the wreckage.
Verstappen was sent to hospital for additional checks and Red Bull boss Christian Horner accused Hamilton, who won the race, of putting his driver’s life in danger with his ‘desperate’ driving.
Dramatic F1 fan footage shows brutal impact of Max Verstappen’s 180mph crash as Lewis Hamilton is blamed for collision More

RED BULL have revealed the full cost of Max Verstappen’s crash with Lewis Hamilton – at a whopping £1.3MILLION.The Dutchman was clipped on his right-rear wheel at 180mph by his title rival at the British Grand Prix, sending him into the tyre barrier.
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull will cost £1.3million to repair
Christian Horner has not ruled out launching action against Lewis HamiltonCredit: AP
The huge impact, measuring 51G in G-force, mangled Verstappen’s car and left him hospitalised while Hamilton won the race.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has confirmed that his driver underwent a CT and MRI scan at Coventry Hospital before getting the all-clear.
And the race chief, 47, outlined just how much the incident has set his team back financially.
He told the Red Bull Racing website: “That crash has cost us approximately $1.8million (£1.3m) and an accident like that has massive ramifications in a budget cap era.”
Hamilton, 36, was given a ten-second time penalty after stewards decided he caused the crash – although a number of his fellow drivers defended the collision as a racing incident.
But Horner has outlined how Red Bull are ‘considering’ launching further action against the reigning Formula One champion and Mercedes.
I spoke to Max again on Monday and he felt like he’d done a few rounds with Tyson Fury. Christian Horner
He said: “It is no secret that we felt at the time, and still feel, that Hamilton was given a light penalty for this type of incident.
“Given the severity of the incident and the lenient penalty, we are reviewing all data and have the right to request a review.
“We are therefore still looking at the evidence and considering all of our sporting options.”
The F1 title race has been ignited by the row ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 1.
Verstappen will ‘do his talking on-track’, according to Horner, having experienced a battering akin to ‘a few rounds with Tyson Fury’.
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The team boss added: “Max was monitored closely and later released from hospital at around 22:00 and was able to travel home the following day.
“I spoke to him again on Monday morning and he felt like he’d done a few rounds with Tyson Fury.
“He was battered and bruised but feeling lucky and grateful to the medical team, as we all are, and in true Max style he was already trying to put it out of his mind and look ahead to Hungary.”
Dramatic F1 fan footage shows brutal impact of Max Verstappen’s 180mph crash as Lewis Hamilton is blamed for collision More

LEWIS HAMILTON is committed to Formula One having sacrificed his love life to focus on winning world titles, says Ralf Schumacher.The German, 46, remarked that Hamilton’s dog, Roscoe, is his chief life partner – but told the Brit that there is ‘no need to change anything’.
Lewis Hamilton is regularly joined at circuits by his beloved pet dog, RoscoeCredit: Reuters
An eighth world championship is on the 36-year-old’s agenda, which would beat the record of Michael Schumacher, the brother of ex-racer Ralf.
Schumacher told Bild: “Lewis loves Formula One.
“I don’t see a partner at his side in his life, except maybe for his dog.
“If you live life the way he does, there is no need to change anything. Especially when you win so much.
“From my point of view, I can say that it is also a strange feeling when you as a racing driver suddenly wake up in the morning and no longer have this well-planned year.
“I also believe that Lewis really wants to break my brother’s world championship record of seven titles.”
Hamilton’s long-term relationship with singer Nicole Scherzinger ended in 2015 and he has remained private about his love life since.
While a number of F1 drivers have families, including Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, Hamilton has admitted his difficulties in that regard.
I for one also find that incredibly difficult, with your goal to be as competitive as you can be.Lewis Hamilton2019
He said in 2019: “In general for athletes, having the right mindset and trying to find the right balance of how dedicated you are as opposed to resting back and enjoying your quality time, it’s different for everyone.
“But having spoken and read about other athletes in different sports, it’s obviously quite similar for all of us.
“There are those that manage it, look at Seb. There are many athletes who have happy lives in the background.
“But I for one also find that incredibly difficult, with your goal to be as competitive as you can be.
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“Ultimately, you want to be 100 per cent committed because you never want to be any less committed than the person next to you.
“There’s only a certain amount of you as a whole that you can give to everything. It depends how much of a sacrifice you want to make.”
Schumacher has urged Hamilton to keep racing while he remains at the top of his game.
After winning the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in controversial style, the reigning champ is only eight points behind Max Verstappen in the drivers’ standings and is contracted to the end of the 2023 season.
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And Schumacher noted: “I think it’s better to race for longer and then stop completely, than stop early and later start a comeback.
“Lewis is still fully in there, still fast.
“One should rather ask why Kimi Raikkonen is still driving at 41. His best times have been behind him for a long time.”
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Lewis Hamilton pulls off huge F1 British Grand Prix win in front of Silverstone fans after penalty for Verstappen crash More

FAN FOOTAGE of Max Verstappen’s crash during the British Grand Prix on Sunday reveals just how brutal the incident was.Amateur photographers were sat just behind the fence and were scattered with debris as the Red Bull driver crashed into a tyre wall.
Supporters watch Max Verstappen make contact with Lewis Hamilton
The fans are in shock as the Red Bull car comes flying towards them
Spectators are forced to duck for cover as debris is thrown up in the air
Verstappen, 23, suffered a high-speed crash after colliding with Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone’s famous Copse Corner.
The incident was worrying from the outset, with F1 officials producing the red flag moments later to halt the race.
But it was hard to grasp the intensity of the crash as professional cameramen were not placed nearby.
The amateur footage, obtained by the Daily Mail, shows the crowd scream in angst as Verstappen’s Red Bull approaches them at high-speed.
Fans are placed just a dozen or so yards away from the fence, which is heavily protected by the tyre wall.
Some supporters are seen bracing for impact as large amounts of debris comes hurling their way.
One fan is seen asking a child if they’re OK following the dramatic incident.
Verstappen was rushed to hospital to be checked after suffering the crash but thankfully avoided injury.
LEWIS TO BLAME – ECCLESTONE
Hamilton, 36, was blamed for the crash and was awarded a 10-second penalty by race stewards, although he still managed to win the race.
And former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone believes Hamilton was at fault for the incident.
The 90-year-old told the Daily Mail: “Who was to blame? You have to say Lewis.
“In the old days we would have said it was one of those things, a racing incident. It was clear that everyone was doing his best to win the championship.
“But if the stewards needed to get involved then they should have given Lewis more than a 10-second penalty. It should have been 30 seconds.
“Lewis was not in front at the point they collided. It wasn’t his corner. He was almost a car’s length behind. That’s why he hit him at the back not the front.
“Ten seconds was not right. The punishment did not fit the crime.
“If you have to give a sanction, which in some ways they didn’t need to, this was not right decision – it wasn’t enough.”

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Verstappen’s dad Jos has also criticised Hamilton, telling Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: “It’s really not acceptable what he [Hamilton] did.
“I think a 10 second penalty is really ridiculous. As far as I am concerned they should have just disqualified him.
“Max gives him space and is just in front of him. You can’t overtake on the inside.”
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull car before the crashCredit: Getty
The 23-year-old was fortunate to avoid injuryCredit: Getty
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