Following an thrilling battle on the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, Sky Sports activities Components 1 analyst Naomi Schiff has advised that the “aggressive scar tissue” between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen won’t ever totally disappear, though the pair now share a cordial relationship.
The extraordinary rivalry between the 2 champions reached its boiling level in the course of the unforgettable 2021 F1 season, which ended with the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
However on the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, the pair loved an on-track battle for second place and had been laughing collectively whereas they mirrored on the race within the cooldown room.
Talking on the Up To Pace podcast, Schiff mirrored on her first interview with the seven-time champion: “Effectively, I bear in mind telling Lewis earlier than I truly did the interview that I used to be extremely nervous as a result of I would grown up borderline idolising him.
“He was actually like my hero rising up. I regarded as much as him and so to share this second with him, which I wished to fill with pleasure and happiness and we additionally needed to discuss Abu Dhabi. I imply he disappeared off the grid for some time, we did not know if he was coming again or not, there was quite a bit to unpack.
“All that to say, we did contact on Max. I requested him about coming again into the paddock and what it was going to be like, and already then Lewis was very clear that, as a lot as every part that went down within the 12 months as a result of, even Abu Dhabi apart, there was quite a lot of hardcore wheel-to-wheel racing between the 2 of them, quite a lot of borderline stuff.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, pole man Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing
Picture by: FIA Pool
“He simply mentioned, ‘You already know what? On the finish of the day, he is my rival, and are we going to be greatest mates? Most likely not, however I am nonetheless going to respect him as a competitor on observe.’ And so I feel there’s at all times been that respect with them.
“And it was attention-grabbing to see the best way that they had been so cordial with one another within the cooldown room. You possibly can inform that it is most likely nonetheless not pure for them to interact simply since you do not simply overlook that; there’s going to be a few of that aggressive scar tissue that can final endlessly.
“I do not assume anybody’s forgetting that any time quickly, however they make an effort to be cordial with one another and so they respect one another, and that is what we noticed play itself out on observe in Canada, which was nice racing for my part.”
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