F1 journalist Tom Clarkson revealed an exclusive Max Verstappen/Lewis Hamilton moment that hadn’t been revealed on cameras at the time.
As they headed into the final race of the season, Verstappen and Hamilton still had to fight for the championship. However, they had an interaction that no one knew about until it was revealed.
Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast as quoted by Racingnews365.com, Clarkson said, “There was a funny moment on the weekend where, prior to having Max and Lewis together on Thursday, there was a big discussion about do we go for the cheesy handshake shot.
“Which I think you (Damon Hill) and (Michael) Schumacher did a few times, didn’t you? So it’s, are we going to go for the cheesy handshake shot because that’s what all the newspapers will want?
“Anyway, Max arrives early, sits down, and we’re just having a chat. About three minutes later, Lewis walks in, walks straight over, fist bumps him and goes, ‘How you doing, man?’ and they have a bit of a chat.
“I thought, brilliant. That is the shot. I don’t need to worry about this cheesy handshake thing anymore. And we had a Netflix camera in there. We had the two cameras that we have in the press conference room anyway. There was even a photographer in there as well.”
In Spain, but the S is silent
“So the press conference happens and they have a good natter,” Clarkson explained.
“And then at the end, I said to the Netflix guy, ‘Ah, you must have enjoyed the fistbump’. And he goes, ‘Oh, I missed it, mate, I missed it. Yeah, I was focusing on Lewis, and by the time I’d seen what was happening, I’d missed it’.
“So I then turn to the camera guy for FOM, and I said, ‘Did you get it?’ And he said, ‘No, mate, we still had the slate up’, prior to the start of the press conference.
“So no one knows about this fist bump, except for me and the people in (there), about three others in the room!” he concluded his story.
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