Lewis Hamilton makes 'revenge' claim in Max Verstappen message after new F1 deal

31 August 2023 , 15:47

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Lewis Hamilton makes 'revenge' claim in Max Verstappen message after new F1 deal

Lewis Hamilton did not sign his new Mercedes contract with "revenge" on Max Verstappen in mind.

But the Brit admits does plan on fighting with the Dutchman again after securing his future in Formula 1. Hamilton will remain on the grid until at least the end of the 2025 season, thanks to the mega-money extension he has now signed with Mercedes.

Now, he must hope that the Silver Arrows will, in that time, be able to provide him with a car capable of competing at the front again. Their last two efforts have fallen short in that regard with Red Bull dominating the grid.

Verstappen beat Hamilton to the 2021 title in controversial circumstances at the end of a thrilling battle throughout the season. Since then, though, the Dutchman's dominance has been largely unchallenged with Mercedes nowhere near a championship fight.

Hamilton has, as a result, been unable to get his own back for losing out on that eighth championship in the way that he did. He hopes to get the chance to do that in the next two years, but the 38-year-old insists that desire is nothing personal against Verstappen.

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"On 2021, I am not really a revenge person, and it is not about revenge," he told reporters. "That is in the past, there is nothing you can do about the past, but what we can do is work harder, be more precise and be better-moving forwards.

"I truly believe that with this team, we can win more championships and races together, so that is where all my energy is going. Mercedes has supported me since I was 13 and we still have unfinished business. We are in this together and we've got a lot of work to do to get ourselves back to the front, but there's no place I'd rather be.

"The goal is simple, setting the target is simple, but achieving that target is not so it is going to take all of us pulling together. Every team and driver here is working so hard to get on top of the aero package they have and pull everyone together and have everyone firing on all cylinders, which is not easy in a large team. It takes consistent work and, from a driver's perspective, you've got to make sure that you perform every weekend.

"Even though I have been driving and racing all these years, I still feel like I can improve each weekend and that's what I love about this sport. You are never going to reach perfection, but the pursuit of perfection is one of the most exciting things about what we do."

Daniel Moxon