Ex-F1 champion asserts Lewis Hamilton ‘never had a season’ like Max Verstappen
Jacques Villeneuve reckoned that despite Lewis Hamilton's seven F1 titles, he never dominated a season like Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)
Lewis Hamilton became very emotional as he secured a victory after a 945 days winless stint at the British GP. Winning in front of his home fans made him tear up. Another reason for his tears was that he was on the verge of giving up, but he didn’t. After 50 races, he clinched his 104th Grand Prix. However, former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve claimed Hamilton never had a season like Max Verstappen in his entire career.
The three-time world champion Max Verstappen was the most dominating driver for the last three years. In 2023, Verstappen clinched 19 out of the 22 races which made him the most winning driver in a single season. Jacques Villeneuve stated that, in every season Lewis Hamilton has competed he has faced ups and down. However, in the case of the Dutchman who has had more consistent seasons, the Briton’s performance tends to vary. Villeneuve pointed out that Hamilton goes through frequent mood swings throughout the season. However, his recent wins has provided him with a sense of relief. The 53-year speculated that this might be due to self-doubt, but he wasn’t sure.
Every season he’s driven, Hamilton has had ups and downs, he’s never had a season like Max Verstappen. There’s always swings in his moods, it might be self-doubt but I’m not sure.Jacques Villeneuve told InstantCasino.com
Further, Villeneuve pointed out that during the race at Silverstone, Hamilton was performing exceptionally well and was fully focused. He was in a state where everything was clicking for him, and he was in top form during that race. Villeneuve noticed that Hamilton hasn’t been in this kind of excellent form for a long time.
You can tell he was on a roll and in the zone at Silverstone he hasn’t been in the zone like that for a while.Jacques Villeneuve added.
Jacques Villeneuve claims Lewis Hamilton was ‘the champion we know’ during British GP
Jacques Villeneuve stated that for most of the season it seemed like Hamilton was accepting defeat from George Russell. However, in Silverstone, the seven-time-world-champion was back in his old form showing exceptional driving skills with his killer instincts. This suggested that the Briton was determined to win and performed exceptionally well, especially in the rain. Therefore, Villeneuve described Hamilton as the true champion everyone knew. He knew how to seize the moment and make the most of a challenging situation.
Most of the season, it’s looked like Hamilton was accepting defeat to George Russell, which is weird. In Silverstone, his killer instinct was bad and he made the difference in the rain. That’s the champion we know, he knows how to take hold of an occasion.Jacques Villeneuve stated.
Certainly, Jacques Villeneuve believed Hamilton had been underperforming compared to Russell. But he proved his champion status by stepping up and dominating when it really mattered at Silverstone. Fans expect Hamilton to clinch more victories this season as he sits second in terms of victories, behind Max Verstappen.
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)