Max Verstappen has explained that winless streaks – such as the two-year drought currently experienced by former title rival Lewis Hamilton – can ‘eat up the energy’ inside of you. The Mercedes star hasn’t experienced the top step of the podium since winning the penultimate race of the 2021 season in Saudi Arabia.
While Verstappen dominated the rest of the field in 2023, winning 19 of the 22 races and finishing 290 points clear of team-mate and closest rival Sergio Perez in the Drivers’ Championship, Hamilton was routinely left frustrated.
The seven-time world champion came within laps of challenging Verstappen for the race victory at the United States Grand Prix, only to cross the line in second place and later suffer a disqualification, alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, for a technical regulation violation. That was the closest he came to ending his winless streak last season.
Speaking to Blick, Verstappen was asked about Hamilton’s win drought, replying: “I did it too. No, wait. That’s not true. I was able to win from time to time. Well, such periods can happen, but I prefer not to think about it. Because they eat up the necessary energies in you.”
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The Dutchman was also asked whether or not he misses fighting the seven-time world champion on track, to which he responded: “No. I was satisfied with how this season went. Sure, I appreciate the battles we once had. But now I especially appreciate the successes that we can celebrate as a team.”
This winless feeling is still a new one for the seven-time world champion. With a record 103 Grand Prix victories to his name, Hamilton is, statistically, the most successful driver in F1 history. In fact, until last season came and went without a triumph, the 38-year-old had never failed to record a race win across an entire season. Now he has in back-to-back years.
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Despite the success he has already achieved in his career, the winless run is bothering Hamilton. Ahead of the ill-fated Brazilian Grand Prix, he stated: “I anticipate Red Bull will blitz it because their car is great.
“But if that is not the case, I will be ready to take the fight to them, and if it can be anything like Austin and we can get our strategy better, then that would be incredible. I came away empty-handed last season. I don’t plan on that this year.”
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