Verstappen showers Hamilton in never ‘lose it’ praise

Max Verstappen does not believe Lewis Hamilton "will ever lose" his speed and natural ability given how much the seven-time drivers' champion has achieved in F1.

The high praise from the Dutchman comes following a weekend in which the Mercedes driver has declared he is "definitely not fast anymore."

Hamilton leaves the Brackley-based team at the end of the year, joining Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season.

To Verstappen, a lot will be contingent upon the package the Scuderia will be able to provide the 39-year-old with.

Nevertheless, the newly-crowned four-time drivers' champion feels his 2021 title rival will be "very, very motivated" to highlight why he is the most decorated driver in the history of F1.

"I don’t think he will ever lose it, Verstappen told the PA news agency. "He has achieved so much.

"It is a new challenge for him next year. He will be very, very motivated to show he is a seven-time world champion. But it will depend on the material he has got."

It has been widely speculated and contended that motivation has been an issue for Hamilton in recent seasons, with Mercedes mired in relative mediocrity.

If true, which Verstappen suggests is the case, it is a problem that has been further compounded by racing a full year in F1 knowing he would be departing for Maranello at the end of the campaign.

“It has been tough for him (Hamilton) to get motivated fully this year because he knows he is leaving the team,” said the 27-year-old.

“I felt like as soon as he had that competitive car, and there was a chance of winning, you could see that he really stepped up. 

“Then there were some races where the car was difficult and he was like ‘whatever’.”