‘Act like a World Champion’ – Lewis Hamilton aims dig at Max Verstappen after Hungary clash

Lewis Hamilton has reminded Max Verstappen to “act like a World Champion” after the Red Bull driver’s conduct was criticised at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Red Bull arrived in Budapest armed with their biggest upgrade of the F1 2024 season as the team aimed to retake control of the World Championship, yet were unable to restore the position as F1’s dominant force.

Lewis Hamilton reminds Max Verstappen to ‘act like a World Champion’

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Verstappen could only manage third on the grid behind the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri before the reigning World Champion endured a frustrating race.

The Dutchman was heard criticising the car and his team’s strategy calls throughout the grand prix before colliding with Hamilton in the closing laps, ultimately coming home a distant fifth.

Verstappen’s annoyance continued after the race as he told his critics to “f**k off” while talking to the media.

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Hamilton, the most successful man in F1 history with a joint-record seven World Championships and 104 pole positions and race wins to his name, has stressed the need for drivers to “act like a World Champion.”

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, he said: “You have to be a team leader, a team member.

“Maybe not such a team leader but just always remember you’re a team-mate with lots of people and you have to act like a World Champion.”

Asked to explain what acting like a World Champion entails, he laughed: “That’s a good question! Not like it was last weekend.”

Verstappen escaped a penalty for the incident with Hamilton, with the stewards’ ruling stating that the Mercedes driver could have done more to avoid the collision.

Hamilton was “surprised” by the verdict and plans to take it up with the stewards in due course.

Asked if he was surprised by the ruling, he said: “Yes. Very much so. I was really, really surprised by it.

“I think already I was very relaxed about the situation just saying: ‘Look, it’s just a racing incident, let’s just move on.’

“But considering one car was in control and one car was not in control at the time. Obviously, when all the wheels are locked, you’re not in control.

“And if you look at the replay, at the end of the whole move I’m very, very far from the apex – there’s a lot of room on the right-hand side – so I was very, very surprised.

“That will be a question when I speak to [the stewards] at some stage.”

Hamilton revealed that he has not spoken to Verstappen since the clash, adding that they may cross paths during the pre-race drivers’ parade on Sunday at Spa if there is something the Red Bull man “want to say.”

He added: “We didn’t talk afterwards. We went to the stewards and that’s it, but we’ve not had a talk.

“I don’t know if we will, if we’ll get time. Maybe we’ll talk on the [drivers’] parade this weekend, maybe.

“I’ve not felt like there is necessarily a need to. [There] might be something that he wants to say, but we didn’t get the time to do it.”

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