Max Verstappen rubs salt in Lewis Hamilton’s wounds ahead of Dutch Grand Prix

Max Verstappen has teased Lewis Hamilton and his other frontrunning rivals, claiming that it has been ‘relaxing to win comfortably’ this season. Hamilton is yet to finish ahead of Verstappen on track in 2023, despite leading him for a period in Australia.

The Dutchman heads into his home race with a mighty 125-point lead at the top of the championship standings and with some records in touching distance. Verstappen will win his third world title in a row unless team-mate Sergio Perez can work miracles in the second half of the year.

The 25-year-old won eight consecutive Grands Prix in the build-up to the summer break, meaning he can draw level with former Red Bull driver and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine straight victories in front of a vibrant home crowd at Zandvoort this weekend.

Speaking about his dominance ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen explained: “I would rather, of course, have a very straightforward race [to win] all the time, but that only happens maybe once or twice in your career, in a year, that you have a season like that.

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“But again, you know, we are also racing drivers. Ones that the teams are a lot closer and you are racing, then for me that’s also fine. But of course, it’s always a bit more relaxing to win it more comfortably.”

While Verstappen has been comfortable at the front of the field this season, Hamilton has needed to graft to maximise the potential of the W14. Mercedes are currently streaking clear in the battle for P2 in the Constructors’ Championship thanks to his efforts.

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The seven-time world champion provided a reminder of the threat that he can pose to Verstappen and Red Bull in Hungary when he produced a phenomenal lap to snatch his first pole position since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Unfortunately, the legendary Briton does not currently have the machinery to battle Verstappen on a consistent basis and will be forced to settle for podiums and feed off the scraps that the two Red Bull drivers leave behind until 2024 at the earliest.

His rival, meanwhile, will continue to dominate from the front as he looks to extend his championship lead. If his latest comments are anything to go by, he’ll be having plenty of fun in the process. 

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