Lewis Hamilton was beaming after an “awesome” battle with “one of the greats” Max Verstappen during a Canadian Grand Prix which thrilled from start to finish.
With Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli taking the win, Hamilton and Verstappen, the former title rivals, battled it out over the final podium spots. Hamilton won this particular chapter, and the respect was clear as the pair reflected on their epic battle.
Lewis Hamilton calls Max Verstappen ‘one of the greats’
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Verstappen took what was then P3 from Hamilton on Lap 9, sending it down the inside as Hamilton rued a lack of power. That proved to be only the start of their tussle.
With George Russell later retiring from the race, this became a battle for second between Hamilton and Verstappen.
Hamilton was “pushing” as he looked to reel in a Verstappen with “cooling” tyres.
Hamilton had a look at T12/13, and again at T1, but Verstappen had that covered.
Verstappen had been holding firm, but on Lap 62, Hamilton went late on the brakes into T1, around the outside and up into P2.
Rather than pull away from the Red Bull, Verstappen put Hamilton under pressure as this battle continued to the chequered flag.
Hamilton held on to second, his best grand prix result yet with Ferrari.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton gave a glowing review of Verstappen and their Canadian GP scrap.
“Absolutely awesome to fight with one of the greats,” Hamilton said of Verstappen.
“It was massively challenging. I think our cars are relatively close I would say. You see him in qualifying, we were relatively close.
“I think whilst we’re probably a little bit quicker through the corners, everything you gain in the corner, they gain on the straight, and very challenging behind him.
“Obviously, I lost a bit of time. He was quicker at the beginning of the race, and then once we went to the medium, I was able to hunt him down, and I love that hunt. My whole life has been about that since a kid, since I had a really old go-kart. I was just always hunting, so it was amazing to be back in that position and hunting down a champion up ahead.
“Then unbelievably difficult, and I have to be so strategic when you have less power as well than others around. Even in overtake, they still have more power in the straights, so finding a way, I was just having to do these calculations, trying to figure out how to maximise the amount of power on my battery bar each straight and make sure that I have enough at that particular point.
“Thank God I managed to pull it off, and it’s a great feeling when you overtake as well. These cars are awesome to be able to follow.”
Verstappen was similarly upbear when asked for his reaction to going up against Hamilton in Montreal.
“It was very good. I enjoyed it a lot.
“I think also, when you are within a second at this track, we are very energy poor around here, and of course, when you are within a second, you’re allowed to spend a bit more energy, so then on the straights, of course, you gain a bit of speed, and around here that is very efficient, actually.
“So the last few laps, I tried to get [him] back.
“But it was good. We were pushing flat out, and it was just very nice. I think it’s my first race where I basically had a normal race, nothing crazy happened, so that’s also nice.”
More Canadian Grand Prix talking points via PlanetF1.com
George Russell receives suspended €5000 fine after triggering FIA investigation
Oscar Piastri admits McLaren ‘looked like idiots’ in Canadian GP strategy backfire
Hamilton leaves Montreal fourth in the Drivers’ standings, a position and three points behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen sits P7 on 43 after five rounds of the season.
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Read next – Canadian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli wins; Russell DNF disaster, McLaren misery
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