Lewis Hamilton has issued a stark warning to McLaren’s title contenders, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, about Max Verstappen’s “cut-throat” character as the final five races of the Formula 1 season approach.
Piastri currently leads the championship by 14 points over Norris, while Verstappen has surged into contention, trailing by 40 points after three wins and a second-place finish in the past four races.
Reflecting on his 2021 championship battle with Verstappen, Hamilton said the pressure on the McLaren drivers will be immense. “In that scenario, it’s challenging. You have to put your blinkers up and block everything from the outside,” he explained.
“You have to be cut-throat, and that is what Max is. He is going to take this from them if they don’t do the same,” Hamilton added. He stressed that consistency would be key for the McLaren duo to hold off the Red Bull driver.
Hamilton noted that Verstappen had an advantage as the chaser in the championship, coming from 104 points behind Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix. “Being the hunter is much easier than being the defender. When you’re in the lead, you have everything to lose,” he said.
Mercedes driver George Russell acknowledged McLaren’s advantage in car performance but highlighted Red Bull’s rising form. “The McLaren guys have the fastest car, so it’s theirs to lose. But Max and Red Bull are doing an amazing job,” he said.
McLaren drivers will enter the closing races free to race each other without internal restrictions, other than avoiding collisions. This comes after a recent crash between Piastri and Norris during the US Grand Prix sprint, which both drivers are now treating as a clean slate.
“There is a degree of responsibility from my side in the sprint, and we are starting this weekend with a clean slate, just going out and racing,” Piastri said. Despite his lead, he has seen it shrink after Norris outperformed him in four consecutive races.
Piastri admitted surprise at Verstappen’s swift return to form. “The run of form he’s had since Monza has been a bit of a surprise. He has come to the fight quicker than I expected,” he said. Nevertheless, he insists his focus remains on his own performance.
Norris echoed the sentiment, praising Verstappen’s recent consistency while reaffirming McLaren’s opportunities. “They are in better form, but we still have chances. We have a better car from now until the end of the season,” he said.
Verstappen remained focused on maximising performance, saying, “We know we need to be perfect to the end to have a chance, but we just try to maximise everything and see where we end up.”
The F1 championship battle is now set for a thrilling climax, with McLaren and Red Bull drivers fiercely competing in the final stretch of the season.
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