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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have deep respect for each other, according to former F1 driver and 13 time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard.
According to the F1 driver-turned-TV pundit, the title-contending duo respect each other, however can’t see eye to eye at times due to their intense battle for the title.
Explaining the respect in the camaraderie Lewis Hamilton shares with Max Verstappen, David Coulthard said:
“I think there is respect there, they are different people, different generations. They’re clearly not gonna sit down and have a nice dinner together. I think they are both professional. You know Max has got maturity beyond his years, he has had that since you saw him get his first victory at about 17. I think at the end of the day, they know that this championship, neither of them want to just accept that they are gonna lose the title.”
According to the former McLaren driver, Hamilton and Verstappen both respect each other, however, their thirst to win can sometimes make them push each other off the edge as seen several times this season. Off-track, however, there have been several times when the two have been seen bantering on the podium or in the press conference room, regardless of the 13-year age gap between them.
The battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is a historic one, irrespective of the outcome
Whether Lewis Hamilton bags an eighth title or Max Verstappen claims his maiden title, Formula 1 will witness history being made come Sunday in Abu Dhabi. With 21 rounds of the calendar done, every round has produced action-packed entertainment, to bring the title right down to the wire.
Highlighting the entertainment value and historic significance of the battle between Hamilton and Verstappen, Coulthard said:
“They’ve given us a rare piece of racing history, and we are spectators to this. For those who are not as close to the action as us, this has been a brilliant championship and more people are tuning to Formula 1 than we’ve seen in previous years.”
The F1 championship battle has not been tied before the final round since 1974 when Emerson Fittipaldi won the title against Clay Reggazoni.
While both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen head to Abu Dhabi for the final round with 369.5 points each, the playground is leveled for a showdown that will determine the historic outcome.
