Hamilton makes claim over Verstappen’s radio messages

Lewis Hamilton has claimed that Max Verstappen's team radio messages after recent race victories show the excitement of Formula 1 wins has eased. Verstappen and Red Bull have dominated the current Formula 1 campaign, with the Dutchman winning 18 out of the 21 events staged so far. Verstappen has enjoyed statistically the most dominant season in F1 history and has a chance to end the year with an 86% win rate - smashing Alberto Ascari's 75% record from 1952. Hamilton enjoyed a win-filled run of seasons prior to Verstappen's success as he won six World Championships from 2014 to 2020. The 38-year-old has not won a race since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021 with Mercedes slipping back in the pecking order since the introduction of new technical regulations last year. Despite his win drought, Hamilton has asserted that he is still as motivated as ever to perform. “You approach every year exactly the same,” Hamilton told Channel 4. “Still prepare myself, still train. If anything, you deep dive a bit more, you try to pay attention to more “I think through adversity and through this experience for two years, I feel like I’ve learned a huge amount as a driver – not necessarily on track but particularly off track in terms of how I engage with everyone and I like to think that’s a real positive.”

Hamilton claims 'excitement goes' amid success

Hamilton sits with the most race victories in F1 history on 103 while Verstappen currently has 53 to his name. With Hamilton no stranger to success in F1, the seven-time World Champion has stated it's easy for excitement to dwindle amid a long period of triumph. “And also, when you have so much success, no matter how hard you try it’s hard to keep things in perspective,” he said. “I even hear it in Christian Horner’s voice when Max wins, he doesn’t know what to say. He’s like: ‘Here we go again. Good job, Max. Good job.’ “The excitement goes, but when you first get that win it’s amazing. But if you have it all the time [it’s not the same]. “Of course, I want to win again. I do feel like when we do win again, the feeling is going to be even greater because everyone’s struggled.”