Max Verstappen has given a reason for not seeing Nico Rosberg as an inspiration in competing with Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton is no stranger to rivalries. An interesting thing to note is that his former teammate and fiercest rival Rosberg has been the only one to take the title off him. Verstappen this season looks like the closest thing to Rosberg, minus all the drama that came with it.
In an interview, Verstappen was asked if he sees Rosberg as an inspiration for competing with Hamilton. He dismissed the idea, saying they were very different and cannot be compared.
“They were in the same car, so it’s easier to beat your teammate,” Verstappen said. “We have different cars. So it’s something different.”
Verstappen doubled down on his claims, saying, “I think you can only judge the real driver performance for yourself if you are sitting next to someone in the same car.”
Night and Day
Verstappen makes some good points. He is battling Hamilton for the WDC, but also with the Constructor’s Championship at stake. Meanwhile, Rosberg only had to deal with one of those things.
Moreover, Verstappen and Hamilton and much more civil than Hamilton and Rosberg ever were. Their rivalry was so intense they both did unsporting things to the other, and went to any lengths to one-up the other. Rosberg retired in 2016 after winning his maiden WDC, causing a sudden ending to the saga on track.
Rosberg, meanwhile, has compared the Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry to some other iconic ones. The German was quoted as saying, “It’s really reminiscent of Senna-Schumacher, Schumacher-Alonso, and Alonso-Vettel.”
Bar a crash at Silverstone, Hamilton and Verstappen have maintained respect, and chosen to do their talking on track. It is a great thing to see, as opposed to the fireworks and pure drama the Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry offered.
Read more: Nico Rosberg believes Max Verstappen was the main problem for Pierre Gasly at Red Bull