In the world of Formula 1, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton haven’t always shared the same perspective and opinions.
Martin Brundle has pointed out “the great irony” of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s complaints about a boring Monaco Grand Prix, claiming the pair “didn’t care one bit” about the F1 spectacle during their title-winning peaks.
Finishing sixth and seventh respectively, Verstappen and Hamilton were among the most vocal critics of the race in Monaco as the top 10 on the grid finished in the positions they started for the first time in F1 history.
Martin Brundle spots Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton ‘irony’
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper
Verstappen, the current three-time World Champion, was caught on team radio describing the race as “dull” and expressing his disappointment for not bringing a pillow.
Meanwhile, Hamilton expressed to the media, including PlanetF1.com, that his race lacked any excitement and suggested that fans would have been bored enough to doze off as the afternoon progressed.
Hamilton and Verstappen, who famously battled for the F1 2021 World Championship, have experienced periods of overwhelming dominance in the past decade, prompting the pair to express their critiques of the spectacle.
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From the beginning of F1’s V6 hybrid era in 2014, Hamilton emerged as the most accomplished driver in history, securing six World Championships in just seven years. Verstappen, on the other hand, has been dominating the racing scene since his victorious debut in 2021, triumphing in 49 out of the last 74 races.
Brundle, in his post-race Sky Sports column, points out the irony of their grievances, arguing that Hamilton and Verstappen showed little regard for the spectacle during their periods of utmost dominance.
According to Brundle, Lewis Hamilton described it as one of his worst races ever, while Max Verstappen’s comment about wanting a pillow to sleep on during the race was quite painful to hear.
It is quite ironic that despite the indifference of those two drivers, they consistently dominated races and championships by a significant margin. However, it turns out that they were correct.
“To put it mildly, it was quite underwhelming.”
Brundle attributed the scarcity of overtakes on Sunday to the first-lap red flag caused by a frightening collision involving Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hulkenberg.
Most drivers chose not to pit for tyre changes during the remainder of the race, as F1’s rules allow for tyre changes under red flag conditions. This rule also ensures that teams meet the requirement of using at least two different tyre compounds throughout the race.
According to Brundle, the early red flag is considered to be the most undesirable outcome for a complete Monaco GP. He suggests that the race can only become more exciting through rain, Safety Cars, and red flags at the prestigious location.
He expressed that the race was mostly and unfortunately uneventful.
“In order to deliver its full potential, this layout ideally requires an impeccably timed safety car or red flag, or rain. Even better, a combination of all three would be perfect.”
The most undesirable situation would be a red flag during the first lap, coinciding with a day where two out of the three available tyre options are capable of enduring the full 78-lap race. This would exploit the regulations that allow tyre changes during red flag periods, allowing all participants to meet the requirement of using two different tyre compounds in a dry race.
“That’s exactly what happened.
Ferrari strategically adjusted their speed by monitoring George Russell in fifth place, as they did not want to give McLaren’s Lando Norris in fourth an opportunity to pit stop by creating a gap between themselves and Russell, who they would not encounter again after a few laps. This resulted in Charles Leclerc leading the race and Carlos Sainz in third.
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