Max Verstappen pinpoints what’s ‘suddenly’ changed for Lewis Hamilton this year

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Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have served up some of the best racing of Formula 1’s new era so far.

Verstappen and Hamilton battled for second place at the Canadian GP in May, with the Ferrari driver making a decisive move six laps from the end.

In Austria, Hamilton was on the defensive, rebuffing Verstappen’s first attack in an enthralling duel that lasted several corners. The next time around, the Red Bull driver forced his way through.

Max Verstappen admits it’s been ‘great’ battling Lewis Hamilton again

The trend continued at Silverstone last weekend as Hamilton stormed past Verstappen into Brooklands in the fight for the final podium spot, though the Dutchman retired just as a late rematch was shaping up.

“There have certainly been some fun and great battles,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “Everyone is different, and that makes it great to race against.”

Where does Lewis Hamilton rank on the current Formula 1 grid?

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The rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen cooled after the historic 2021 season, partly because the former struggled to compete in the ground-effect cars as the latter won four straight titles.

Neither driver is a frontrunner for the championship this season, but Hamilton is reestablishing himself as one of the best on the grid after suggestions that he was in decline.

For Verstappen, it’s partly a matter of Hamilton feeling comfortable in the car, and partly having the ‘right people’ behind him. The 41-year-old has a new-look engineering team this season, with Carlo Santi replacing Riccardo Adami on the pit wall and Cedric Grosjean joining from McLaren.

“He is doing well,” said Verstappen. “He also feels very good in the car, that is clear. If that is the case and you have the right people around you, if that clicks at some point, then things can suddenly just go well.”

The consensus is that the new generation of cars is simply better geared to Hamilton’s driving style than the 2022-25 machines.

Former teammate Jenson Button has explained that Hamilton loves a sharp front end, an inherent feature of the 2026 car. Unlike many of his rivals, he can cope with the resulting rear instability.