Lewis Hamilton makes true Max Verstappen feelings known - 'I have empathy for them'

Lewis Hamilton has 'empathy' and 'respect' for the Formula One world champions that he has beaten throughout his career, including Max Verstappen, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. The seven-time world champion has faced some of the sport's greatest-ever drivers throughout his glittering F1 career, and has navigated intra-team battles against the likes of Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg.

Despite the fierce competition, Hamilton stands at the top of the record books with 105 Grand Prix victories to his name. Speaking to French news outlet L'Equipe ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the 40-year-old was asked which former champion he was most proud to have beaten. "I don't think like that," he replied.

"I admire each of those competitors. I put myself in their shoes; they've made enormous sacrifices. And in the end, someone wins and someone loses. I know the pain they must have gone through after those experiences of defeat. I'm aware of that.

"I feel empathy for them in that sense, and enormous respect for them. I don't have one title I'm more proud of than another, because each time you go through a different journey, you go through different challenges throughout the year to get to this point."

While Hamilton looks back on his rivalries fondly, not all were pretty at the time. During his stint alongside Alonso at McLaren, the breakdown in relations between the two drivers was severe, and the Spaniard, who already had two World Championships under his belt, decided to leave the team as a result.

Then there was his rivalry with Rosberg. The duo were extremely close friends throughout their childhood karting careers, but after they were reunited at Mercedes following Hamilton's arrival, the pressure of World Championship contention created a rift between the once-close pairing.

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Perhaps the most explosive battle was with Verstappen, though. The Dutchman was, team-mates aside, Hamilton's biggest rival after Vettel's unsuccessful title charge in 2018, and after watching the Brit collect his sixth and seventh crowns, Red Bull's talisman got his shot at glory in 2021.

The pendulum swung back and forth between Hamilton and Verstappen throughout the campaign, which was punctuated by a number of flashpoints, such as the crashes at Silverstone and Monza.

Tensions ran high between Mercedes and Red Bull, but ultimately the Dutchman came out on top following a controversial late safety car decision from race director Michael Masi at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In the three and a half years that have followed, battles between the two stars have been few and far between.