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Verstappen described 2016 champion as the “new Jacques Villeneuve”, to Hamilton’s delight
Lewis Hamilton reignited his feud with former title rival Nico Rosberg during the Italian Grand Prix weekend with his response to Max Verstappen’s suggestion that Rosberg was turning into “the new Jacques Villeneuve” by making outspoken remarks as a pundit.
Rosberg’s Youtube channel is among the projects he has focused on since retiring from racing, and he annoyed Verstappen by suggesting his Belgian GP firstcorner collision showed the Red Bull driver was back to his “old self ”. A month earlier, Rosberg had argued that Verstappen had surpassed Lewis Hamilton to become the best driver in modern F1.
Villeneuve has also become known for expressing controversial views since retiring, and Verstappen called Rosberg “the new Jacques Villeneuve” and criticised his “extreme” comments – adding “he has got no charisma and he doesn’t get to work anywhere”.
Hamilton then posted on social media that Verstappen’s dismissal of Rosberg had him in “stitches” and later told journalists that he found it “really funny”.
He added: “I think Max is generally a really funny guy so I was cracking up when I saw it.
“All the drivers have been here and know what it’s like being criticised from the public, and when in the sport moan about being criticised by people from the outside.
“And then when drivers retire they become those critics, so it’s an interesting dynamic. Unfortunately drivers become irrelevant when they retire and have to hang on to utilise other people’s light to keep them in the light.”
Rosberg admitted during an appearance on Sky Sports’ F1 coverage that Verstappen’s Villeneuve comparison was “not necessarily a compliment”.
Verstappen had been particularly irked by Rosberg’s suggestion that he went into Eau Rouge “flat out” with a damaged car on lap one at Spa, a comment Rosberg stood by.
“I would have backed off and been a bit careful and he was flat out, balls of steel and of course goes straight on and shunts,” he said.
But Verstappen, whose stance was backed up by onboard footage, insisted he was driving carefully.
“The trackrod was bent, so
I was driving slowly trying to get it back to the pits,” said Verstappen. “But then I went up Eau Rouge and because of the compression it broke.”