Verstappen gets advice from Hamilton: 'Keep doing what you're doing'

Lewis Hamilton has given a nice compliment to Max Verstappen before the start of the new Formula 1 season. According to the Mercedes driver, the Dutchman should, above all, keep doing what he is doing.

The seven-time world champion said this in an interview with the Dutch Formule 1 Magazine. When asked what the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks of Verstappen is, Hamilton said, "Keep doing what you're doing, I would say. He is doing a great job. "

Hamilton and Verstappen are great rivals. In the top class of motorsport, perhaps only the rivalry between Hamilton and Alonso has been on a similar level. In the battle for the world title in 2021, Hamilton and Verstappen frequently met on the track where fierce duels were fought. Off the track, too, there were some vocal altercations between the two drivers, even in previous seasons.

Agreement with Verstappen

The rivalry is intense, and the respect is great. Both drivers do everything to win and possess an unprecedented drive to cross the line first and take championships. Hamilton sees that similarity with Verstappen - and Alonso - too.

"I think Max and Fernando have one thing in common with me: all three of us are hugely competitive. We go to extremes to achieve what we want. What else they are like as people, I can't say much about that. I only know them from the Formula 1 world. It's not like I hang out with them, for instance," the 39-year-old Briton said.

Hamilton's main hope is to compete against Verstappen again in 2024. His last victory dates back to late 2021. The W13 and W14 were not competitive enough, so he had to spend the past two years at the top of the midfield.