Lewis Hamilton thinks it is great that Max Verstappen stayed out of trouble Sunday afternoon in Imola. The Mercedes driver was not able to do so himself, but giving up is not in the dictionary of the seven times world champion. The belief in recovery was immediately there and that was rewarded with a great second place.

"Today was a rollercoaster of emotions. First I had to congratulate Max for not making any mistakes in these difficult conditions. He caught me at the start and then I had to chase," Hamilton told Sky Sports of the first lap at the Imola circuit.

Hamilton is only human

Speaking to Ziggo Sport, the world championship leader said of the start: "It was a bit tight, but it is what it is. Then the conditions were difficult for all of us. I'm only human too and you can learn from mistakes," Hamilton was honest.

Hamilton was hot on Verstappen's heels, but had to get past some stragglers before he could do so. With his W12, the Briton ended up in the gravel. "It was a mistake, even though that's rare for me. I stood there for quite a while, but I refused to believe the race was over and then I turned backwards back onto the track."