Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen traded mutual respect after their thrilling Formula 1 duel in the late stages of the Canadian Grand Prix.
The old adversaries rolled back the years in perhaps the highlight of the race at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
With George Russell’s retirement depriving fans of a titanic tussle with Mercedes teammate and eventual race winner, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, it was left to Hamilton and Verstappen to give the assembled throng in the crowd something to cheer about.
With Verstappen taking an early advantage on the Briton on Lap 9, it appeared that the Dutchman would be ‘best of the rest’, as the two Mercs disappeared into the distance amid a series of exciting, heart-in-mouth, wheel-to-wheel tussles.
But when Russell retired due to a battery failure midway through the race, Antonelli was handed an unassailable advantage, leaving fans to switch attention to what was happening behind them.
And with Charles Leclerc some distance behind, and every car thereafter at least one lap down, the protagonists of the box office 2021 title fight were left to fight each other for second place.
A box office on-track fight
Verstappen looked to have the place in his pocket, despite Hamilton’s best efforts, the seven-time World Champion complaining of not enough power to execute an overtake.
But with Verstappen’s tyres beginning to cool, Hamilton found a way, and after getting good traction on the exit of the final chicane, completed a daring lunge on the outside into Turn 1, covering the Red Bull off as he gained the inside line into Turn 2. Through goes Hamilton.
Verstappen was not done yet, though, and continued to press Hamilton as the miles lessened to yards, but the 41-year-old held firm and took second, his best Grand Prix finish for the Scuderia to date.
With 2021 now a long time ago, the media’s necessity to perpetuate a now non-existent rivalry is over, and through the lingering dust of fake drama lay a clear friendly and mutual respect, echoed further in Hamilton’s words
“Absolutely awesome to fight with one of the greats,” he told media, including Motorsport Week.
“It was massively challenging. I think our cars are relatively close I would say. You see him in qualifying, we were relatively close.
“I think whilst we’re probably a little bit quicker through the corners, everything you gain in the corner, they gain on the straight, and very challenging behind him.”
Hamilton excited by ‘go-kart hunt’ on Verstappen
Hamilton continued: “Obviously, I lost a bit of time. He was quicker at the beginning of the race, and then once we went to the Medium [tyres], I was able to hunt him down, and I love that hunt.
“My whole life has been about that since a kid, since I had a really old go-kart. I was just always hunting, so it was amazing to be back in that position and hunting down a champion up ahead.
“Then unbelievably difficult, and I have to be so strategic when you have less power as well than others around.
“Even in overtake, they still have more power in the straights, so finding a way, I was just having to do these calculations, trying to figure out how to maximise the amount of power on my battery bar each straight and make sure that I have enough at that particular point.
“Thank God I managed to pull it off, and it’s a great feeling when you overtake as well. These cars are awesome to be able to follow.”
Max Verstappen confirms enjoyment of Lewis Hamilton duel
Verstappen has created his own legend through no-holds-barred, try-if-you-dare racing, and has found little enjoyment from racing in F1 just lately, seeking thrills elsewhere in the world of GT3 racing.
But there was no doubt that he was buzzing to be at the centre of some genuine excitment on track, something that he, and F1 fans have been deprived of lately.
“It was very good. I enjoyed it a lot,” he told media, including Motorsport Week.
“I think also, when you are within a second at this track, we are very energy poor around here, and of course, when you are within a second, you’re allowed to spend a bit more energy, so then on the straights, of course, you gain a bit of speed, and around here that is very efficient, actually.
“So the last few laps, I tried to get [him] back.
“But it was good. We were pushing flat out, and it was just very nice.
“I think it’s my first race where I basically had a normal race, nothing crazy happened, so that’s also nice.”
Hamilton has been one of the more positive talkers in regards to the new regulations, with Verstappen very much on the other side of that particular fence. But with more excitement over the border at the Indy 500, both men gave fans one of best moments of the 2026 F1 season so far.
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