Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen thrilled fans with a fierce duel at the Austrian Grand Prix—after a maneuver, the Red Bull driver briefly ended up in the gravel
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen thrilled fans with an exciting battle at the Austrian Grand Prix, bringing back memories of their fierce championship rivalry. In the early stages of the Austrian Grand Prix, fans were treated to an exciting and thrilling duel between former championship rivals Hamilton and Verstappen.
On Lap 8, Hamilton ran wide in Turn 1, allowing Verstappen to close the gap to the seven-time champion to just one second. By Lap 11, the battle had intensified. Verstappen attempted an inside pass in Turn 3 to take second place, but Hamilton immediately countered on the outside of Turn 4.
The Dutchman countered in Turn 6, where he attempted an outside pass but briefly ran into the gravel trap. While Verstappen argued that he had been forced off the track, the race stewards confirmed that no further investigation was necessary.
Several battles between the two world champions
On lap 22, the battle played out again. Verstappen dived inside at Turn 3, and Hamilton tried once more to reclaim the position at Turn 4, but the Red Bull driver successfully defended his spot.
Fans praised the battle between the two on social media after the race. “God, I miss how these two battle it out race after race,” commented one fan on Reddit, while another added: “The battles they had were the best thing I saw today. The drone footage just made it even better.”
“I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time. We deserve another Lewis vs. Max battle for the world championship,” wrote another user, and someone else posted: “Hamilton and Verstappen are in a league of their own when it comes to racecraft. Absolutely fantastic to watch them.”
Fans going wild
Other reactions included: “Every time they get close on the track, Formula 1 immediately reaches its peak for me. Two of Formula 1’s greatest drivers are battling it out. Hopefully Ferrari will get its act together.“
He added: ”It really makes me happy to see that they’re getting along well now. It makes their duels even more exciting for me because I believe they both keep it fair and are simply two extraordinary race car drivers.”