[ad_1]
Lewis Hamilton, having just finished seventh in the Monaco Grand Prix as his title rival Max Verstappen dominated from the front, is now at his most dangerous.
Unhappy with the set-up Mercedes chose for his car in qualifying – where he was only seventh-fastest – and with the race strategy on Sunday, he was clearly agitated on the radio to Peter Bonington, his race engineer.
“What has just happened guys?” he demanded to know as the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly and Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin came out in front of the Mercedes at the pit stops.
“I have just lost two places. I saved the tyres to go longer, yet we stopped before everybody.”
His demeanour after the race showed his disappointment too.
“A beaten Lewis Hamilton is an extremely dangerous Hamilton,” were the words from former Red Bull driver Mark Webber after the race.
JUST IN:
George Russell Mercedes deal ‘practically done’ to replace Bottas
We’ve seen it before alongside former Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, the only man to have beaten Hamilton in a Mercedes in 2016. The seven-time world champion is just not wired up for failure.
Rosberg noticed Hamilton’s change of tone, a stark contrast to his recent run of success. But, as he pointed out, Hamilton and Verstappen share a crucial trait.
He explained on Sky Sports F1: “Behind closed doors, Lewis Hamilton is not cordial, Lewis Hamilton is angry… Max is also the kind of guy, you really hate to be beaten by Max Verstappen because he’ll really rub it in you know.
“So don’t worry, the intensity is there in exactly the same way [when you’re not Hamilton’s team-mate]. He always comes back stronger even after a difficult weekend.”
Those words of Rosberg rung out across the weekend, and despite Hamilton claiming he didn’t want to get into “childish war of words”, he ruffled Verstappen’s feathers at the start of the weekend, claiming he had “a point to prove.”
DON’T MISS:
Lewis Hamilton refuses ‘childish’ war of words with Max Verstappen
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wary of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes threat
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff offers opinion on Lewis Hamilton ‘mistake’
[ad_2]