Lewis Hamilton has advised Max Verstappen to reconsider his approach following a series of outbursts directed at his Red Bull team during the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Verstappen, who finished fifth after a clash with Hamilton, expressed his frustration through aggressive radio messages aimed at his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase.
Verstappen’s growing frustration has been evident as the season progresses, particularly as Mercedes and McLaren have started winning races. Despite suggestions to modify his communication style, Verstappen dismissed the notion, stating, “People that don’t like my language don’t have to listen to it. Turn the volume down. I am very driven to success. I think I’ve proven that already.”
In response to Verstappen’s behavior, Hamilton emphasized the importance of professionalism and teamwork. “You have to be a team leader, a team member. Maybe not so much a team leader but more so just always remember you are a team-mate with lots of people and you have to act like a world champion,” Hamilton said.
When asked for specifics on what it means to “act like a champion,” Hamilton humorously replied, “That’s a good question… Not like it was last weekend!”
Hamilton and Verstappen had a tense relationship during their contentious 2021 title battle, and their on-track contact in Hungary added to the friction. Despite promising to discuss the incident privately, Hamilton noted that they have yet to have that conversation.
“We went to the stewards and that’s it. We’ve not had a talk,” Hamilton said. “I don’t know if we will, if we get time. Maybe we’ll talk in the [drivers’] parade this weekend, maybe. I’ve not felt like there’s necessarily a need to, but there might be something he wants to say.”
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