Jos Verstappen 'enjoyed' seeing Max lap Hamilton

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Jos Verstappen admits that he enjoyed the rare sight of his son Max lapping Lewis Hamilton in last Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Verstappen and Red Bull were in a league of their own at Imola, where the Dutchman and his team revived their championship ambitions with a near perfect masterclass display.

Although George Russell limited the damage in the Mercedes camp by finishing fourth, Hamilton was never a contender in Italy, the seven-time world champion concluding his day a lowly P14 and suffering the chagrin of being lapped by Verstappen, his former arch-rival and F1's reigning world champion.

"Honestly, I did enjoy seeing Max lap Hamilton after everything that happened last year," Jos wrote in a column on Verstappen official website.

"Hamilton really had a tough time, whereas his teammate George Russell seemed to be more balanced. It’s not often you have the opportunity to lap a Mercedes."

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko, adding insult to injury in the wake of Hamilton's depressing performance, told Sky: "Maybe he should have stopped last year!"

But a less sarcastic Christian Horner said the moment was hardly significant.

Red Bull: Phenomenal Imola performance 'just the rebound' we needed

"Obviously Lewis didn't have a great weekend, but we're very much focused on our race and just trying to extract the maximum points," said the Red Bull team boss.

"It was obviously one of those things but, at that point, we're looking at the clouds and was the rain going to come in that last part of the race or not? We were more focused on that.

"He [Hamilton] hasn’t forgotten how to drive in the last four races so at some point they will sort their issues out and he will become a factor."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.