Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton haven’t contested a ‘rematch’ since their 2021 title battle. It’s a missing chapter in their rivalry.
Hamilton entered the 2022 season determined to hit back after Verstappen prevailed at the 2021 finale in one of the most controversial F1 races ever. But he quickly realised that Mercedes couldn’t keep up with Red Bull.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Verstappen was asked whether he misses battling with Hamilton for the F1 ‘crown’. While the rivalry was extremely tense, it also made for one of the most enthralling seasons in the sport’s history.
Verstappen ‘appreciates the struggle’ he had against Hamilton, which no doubt made him a better driver. He entered that season as a 23-year-old without a championship to his name and faced a driver who had won record-equalling seven.
But Verstappen wouldn’t say he ‘misses’ those days. There have been fleeting challenges from Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris during his title run, but nothing close to what happened in 2021.
“No… ‘missing’ is a very strong term,” he said. “I appreciate the struggle I had at that time.”
Verstappen’s streak will almost certainly come to an end this year, but Ferrari haven’t furnished a struggling Hamilton with a contending car either. Perhaps they will cross paths again in 2026, but the regulation changes make the pecking order extremely difficult to predict.