F1 fans love Max Verstappen’s ‘perfect’ Lewis Hamilton gesture immediately after the British Grand Prix

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The thought of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen not being on a Formula 1 podium is alien to plenty of fans.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have shared the podium on 60 occasions in Formula 1, and have a total of 319 top-three finishes between them.

However, the 2025 British Grand Prix saw both generational talents miss out on one of the sport’s most sought-after rostrums.

Red Bull and Ferrari will be ruing a missed opportunity but for very different reasons.

Verstappen was left to rue a set-up choice by Red Bull that allowed him to take pole position, but made his car undriveable in wet conditions.

He was in second behind the safety car before spinning out and could only recover to fifth.

Hamilton started on the third row of the grid, and while he didn’t nail his strategy, it was only Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber that stood between him and a first podium with Ferrari.

Unfortunately for his legion of fans in the crowd at Silverstone, he couldn’t chase down the German driver.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Max Verstappen pays respect to Lewis Hamilton at the conclusion of the British Grand Prix

Verstappen had to make his way through the pack after his spin and eventually ended up finishing 17 seconds behind Hamilton.

While the pair would have both been disappointed with their results, the Dutchman quickly caught up to Hamilton as he was thanking the British crowd for their support.

Coming out of the Village corner after the race, Verstappen can be seen driving up alongside Hamilton’s Ferrari.

From there, he leans over and waves at the seven-time world champion before carrying on his way to the pits.

Hamilton lifts his right hand in Verstappen’s direction, although he didn’t appear to have time to fully react to the Dutchman’s gesture.

Plenty of F1 fans reacted to the footage from Verstappen’s onboard camera of the interaction, with one person saying: “Gotta love friendly racing.”

Another fan said: “The perfect day would have been Max, Lewis and Nico on the podium, at least Max and Lewis would have appreciated Nico and helped him feel welcome on the podium.”

“Lewis looks so confused, he’s like, ‘Is he waving at me?’” read another comment, while one fan stated: “Max always does this after the race during the in-lap. He gives drivers their flowers after a good race.”

“Real recognises real,” stated another comment, which was followed up with: “GOAT respects GOAT.”

Another fan wished the top three had looked very different and suggested: “Legit, Max and Lewis should’ve been the ones to accompany Hulkenberg’s podium. Mandatory Brit that is far more likeable is present, and Max to drown Hulkenberg in champagne.”

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are both at a crossroads in their Formula 1 careers

Hamilton and Verstappen both have contracts for next season, but their futures are still points of discussion in the paddock.

The seven-time world champion is signed up for another year at Ferrari, but if the Scuderia aren’t championship contenders in 2026, then he will need to decide whether he wants to continue or if that’s the right time to walk away from Formula 1.

Verstappen has been linked with Mercedes for next season, and it’s yet to be seen who he’ll be racing for in 2026.

Red Bull appear to have taken a step backwards and Yuki Tsunoda’s second last-place finish in two races is another blow for Christian Horner.

Both drivers appear to have a lot of mutual respect for each other, but it’s yet to be seen when they’re likely to share a podium again.