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Lewis Hamilton gave his honest assessment to Max Verstappen in the cooldown room following the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix. Verstappen settled for P2 after a crash with Esteban Ocon, and Hamilton told the Dutchman that he had more to lose in that crash compared to Ocon.
The infamous clash took place on the eve of the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix. Verstappen was leading the race when, on lap 44, Force India driver Ocon crashed into him while trying to unlap himself. Both drivers approached the apex of turn 2 together, but neither of them backed down and ended up crashing.
That crash cost Verstappen his race lead as Hamilton overtook him to claim victory. Meanwhile, the incident left the Dutch driver furious as he stormed into the weighing area after the race and pushed Ocon multiple times in a fit of rage.
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Moreover, in the cooldown room, Hamilton made a keen observation on the crash. The then-Mercedes driver stated that the Red Bull driver had more to lose than Esteban Ocon and that unlapping is allowed with the FIA rules.
"But he [Ocon] is allowed to unlap himself," Lewis Hamilton said (via F1's X account).
Max Verstappen replied:
"Yeah, I know, but you cannot crash into the leader, can you? Who's not doing anything crazy?"
To this Hamilton replied:
"No, you [Verstappen] had more to lose than he [Ocon] did. He had nothing to lose, and you had it all."
Verstappen didn't respond and just soaked the moment in silence. Meanwhile, the FIA handed a 10-second stop-and-go penalty to Ocon for his aggressive move during the race.
However, the Red Bull driver wasn't left off the hook either. He was punished with two days of public service for a physical altercation with Ocon. This whole incident was caught on camera, and Max Verstappen was subject to intense criticism.
Max Verstappen reacted to Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari move
In the 2025 F1 season, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari after terminating his 11-year association with Mercedes. Reacting to the historic move, Max Verstappen backed the Brit to achieve success in his new career chapter.
Talking to Independent UK in November 2024, Verstappen said:
“I don’t think he will ever lose it. He has achieved so much. It is a new challenge for him next year [2025]. He will be very, very motivated to show he is a seven-time world champion. But it will depend on the material he has got."
Meanwhile, the debut year with Ferrari hasn't fared well for Lewis Hamilton. He is yet to win a podium in Grand Prix races, and with 63 points in eight races, he is placed P6 in the championship race. However, Hamilton did win a sprint race in China and finished P3 in the Miami sprint race.
