F1 legend drops five-word reaction to Max Verstappen backing Lewis Hamilton amid his tough run with Mercedes
Former F1 world champion Damon Hill made a cheeky comment on Max Verstappen's motivational words of affirmation for Lewis Hamilton during the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. The seven-time F1 world champion has had a tough time with the new generation of cars ever since they were introduced in 2022.
Although he has won two races in 2024, Silverstone and Spa, the 39-year-old has failed to extract the maximum out of his car every weekend. After getting P7 in the Sprint Qualifying, Hamilton cut a dejected figure as he claimed that he was "not fast anymore" as his teammate George Russell got less than a tenth of pole position.
However, Hamilton received support from an unlikely place as his arch-rival Max Verstappen had some words of motivation for the Brit. He said (via The Independent):
“It has been tough for him (Hamilton) to get motivated fully this year because he knows he is leaving the team. I felt like as soon as he had that competitive car, and there was a chance of winning, you could see that he really stepped up. Then there were some races where the car was difficult and he was like ‘Whatever’.
“I don’t think he will ever lose it. He has achieved so much. It is a new challenge for him next year. 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.”
Damon Hill wrote on his Instagram stories about the exchange and shared his reaction.
"Good material for a film?"
Lewis Hamilton gives his take on his Qatar GP Sprint race
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton stated that he "didn't care" about his results and was looking forward to finishing the season after the next two races.
After finishing P6, the Mercedes driver said (via Sky Sports):
“I have no clue man. I don’t have an answer for you. It’s not been great. At this point I really don’t care, I just want to get through these next couple of races. Do my job, turn up and I am looking forward to the winter break. I woke up this morning and the most important thing is to leave with gratitude.
“I am really grateful to do what I love doing even when there are days that I don’t love it as much. I am really, really so lucky to be here with all these other amazing athletes. It’s painful when it doesn’t go well. No one likes losing. That’s part of the journey.”
Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and join Ferrari at the end of the season on a multi-year deal in a high-profile move.