Max Verstappen was seen shaking hands with Anthony Hamilton after the British Grand Prix on Sunday, where Lewis Hamilton triumphed over the Dutchman in front of a sold-out home crowd.
Hamilton and Verstappen have had numerous intense battles over the years, notably clashing several times during their epic 2021 title fight. Despite these confrontations, there has always been mutual respect between them, exemplified by the actions of Lewis Hamilton’s father.
After the controversial end to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Lewis lost the championship, both Anthony Hamilton and his son handled the situation with grace. Anthony was seen shaking hands with Verstappen and his father Jos, showing respect and congratulating Max on his first Drivers’ Championship. Nearly three years later, Anthony Hamilton shared another handshake with Verstappen, now a three-time world champion and on his way to a fourth title. In the final stint of the race, Verstappen chased down Hamilton but couldn’t close the gap, leading to Hamilton breaking his winless streak.
Hamilton’s victory ended a 945-day wait since his last win at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The difficult 2022 and 2023 seasons for Mercedes made it almost impossible for the seven-time world champion to compete at the front. Verstappen acknowledged the significance of this win for Hamilton. The Dutchman was the first to congratulate Hamilton after the race, pulling up alongside him and expressing his respect, followed by Lando Norris.
Explaining his gesture to Viaplay after the race, Verstappen said: “Great, right? He of course drove a good race… also made the right calls, and they were just a bit faster than us. And for him to win in front of his home crowd, it’s always something special.”
