Hamilton tells Verstappen to ‘act like a champion’

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Lewis Hamilton has suggested Max Verstappen should act more “like a champion” after taking a dig at the Red Bull driver’s turbulent Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.

After two seasons of domination, Verstappen is starting to face stiffer competition from rivals and finished fifth in Hungary after colliding with Hamilton.

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Verstappen received criticism for the collision and the way he spoke with his engineer over team radio during the race — criticism he brushed off on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

When Hamilton was asked how Verstappen should cope with Red Bull’s recent slip in performance, he said: “You have to be a team leader, a team member.

“Maybe not so much a team leader but more so just always remember you are a teammate with lots of people and you have to act like a world champion.”

When he was asked what he mean by acting like a champion, Hamilton laughed and said: “That’s a good question. Not like it was last weekend!”

Hamilton also said he plans to question the wording of the stewards’ interpretation of his collision with Verstappen after the official document said he “could have done more to avoid the collision.”

Verstappen attempted to pass on the inside at Turn 1, but locked his brakes as Hamilton turned into the corner on the racing line. The stewards spoke to both drivers after the race but decided to take no further action.

“It was clear that Car 1 [Verstappen] locked up both front wheels on the approach to Turn One prior to any impact occurring but missing the normal cornering line for a typical overtaking manoeuvre,” the stewards’ statement said.

“The driver of Car 44 [Hamilton] stated that this was a racing incident, whilst the driver of Car 1 argued that this was a case of changing direction under braking.

“The stewards do not consider this to be a typical case of ‘changing direction under braking’ although it is our determination that the driver of Car 44 could have done more to avoid the collision.

“Accordingly we determine that no driver was predominantly to blame and decide to take no further action.”

Asked if he was surprised that the stewards said he could have done more to avoid the collision, Hamilton said: “Yes, very much so. I was really, really surprised by it.

“I think already I was very relaxed about the situation. Just saying ‘look, it was just a racing incident, let’s just move on.’ But considering one car was in control and one car was not in control at the time. Obviously when all the wheels are locked you are not in control.

“And if you look at the replay, at the end of the whole move I’m very, very far from the apex, so there’s a lot of room on the right hand side.

“So I was very, very surprised at the stewards. I don’t know who typed it up but probably that’ll be a question when I speak to them at some stage.”

Hamilton said he had not discussed the incident with Verstappen beyond the stewards’ briefing.

“We didn’t talk afterwards. We went to the stewards and that’s it. Yeah we’ve not had a talk.

“I don’t know if we will, if we get time. Maybe we’ll talk in the [drivers’] parade this weekend, maybe. I’ve not felt like there’s necessarily a need to, but there might be something he wants to say.

“But we didn’t get the time to do it.”