Lewis Hamilton 'devastated' to hear the news of Ken Block's death

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was devastated by the news of rally legend Ken Block's death earlier this week. The famous American driver, unfortunately, passed away in a snowmobile incident at his ranch in Utah.

Ken Block was known to be the best at what he did, just like Lewis Hamilton. The two had apparently gone snowboarding and skiing a few years ago, as the Briton reminisced in a heartfelt social media tribute to the rally legend. Block passed away after his snowmobile flipped upside down and landed on top of him, leading to shocking responses from all over the world.

Hamilton paid tribute to the American legend in a social media post that read:

"I've been mostly off social media to focus on my health and well-being. Today I received news of the loss of a dear friend. I am devastated to hear of Ken Block's passing. He was such an amazing person, always lived life to the fullest. I remember our first time working together and how positive he was. So much talent behind the wheel. Years ago, we had an amazing time heli-skiing and snowboarding in Canada. We held so much respect for one another. He will truly be missed and my thoughts and prayers go to his beautiful family. Gone too soon. Rest in peace, Ken."

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Lewis Hamilton understands why he is Max Verstappen's 'target'

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton claims he is Max Verstappen's 'target' due to the success the Briton has enjoyed since 2014. The 2021 championship rivals barely fought it out in 2022, but infamously collided at this year's F1 Brazilian GP. Hamilton is sympathetic towards Verstappen's mentality, claiming he had a similar mindset when he entered Formula 1 back in 2007.

The Briton had the worst season of his career since his debut, having not won a single race in 2022. Just 12 months ago, the pair were battling it out in the closing stages of the 2021 season, highlighting Mercedes' dramatic fall from grace. Max Verstappen, on the other hand, had his most successful season yet, rewriting the record books with 15 wins in 2022.

Lewis Hamilton explained Max Verstappen's 'target' mentality to British broadcaster Channel 4, saying:

"Then also just look back at the way those individuals behave on track around me [and it] kind of shows that it is a little bit different to others. I can't explain fully exactly why [that is], but it is in part for sure to do with the time I've had in [in F1] and the success I've had."

Hamilton continued:

"I know because I remember when I got into F1 [in 2007], that the target was someone else who had had the success and my goal was to challenge them. You almost wanted to show how tough you were, you always wanted to show how good you were compared to that person."

It will be interesting to see whether Mercedes can build a car strong enough for Hamilton to take the fight to Verstappen once again in 2023.