This archive report was first published on 6 August 2019.
On Monday, Lewis Hamilton praised his rival Max Verstappen after a thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix, which marked the start of an era likely to be dominated by Red Bull's 21-year-old Dutch driver and the 34-year-old British five-time world champion.
Hamilton's record-extending seventh win in Hungary was the 81st victory of his career, with Michael Schumacher's record 91 wins looming ever-closer. The Briton's eighth win out of 12 races in the first half of the season puts him 62 points clear of teammate Valtteri Bottas.
"There really is no better feeling from a racing driver’s point of view -- when you have a race like this and face a really strong competitor and a great driver like Max," explained Hamilton, who came through to win the race after an unexpected second pit-stop and a 20-lap chase.
"When I got into second, I was like 'OK, this whole battle we've been talking about me having with Max, we are going to have that today' and it was really awesome," Hamilton added.
Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff praised Hamilton's driving, saying, "Lewis's driving was of a different dimension."
Hamilton's praise for his rival included recognition of the respect that exists between them despite a 13-year age gap, a welcome feature after so many acrimonious rivalries of the past.
"Max is at his best and is continuing to perform great," said Hamilton. "It's really comforting and really important to see the respect level between us. It was really respectful driving and I hope to continue that."
Hamilton and Verstappen will have some time to put their feet up and consider their new rivalry before the next race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on September 1.
