Former Formula 1 driver turned commentator and Sky Sports analyst Karun Chandhok has suggested there are clear differences in the manner in which Max Verstappen battles with Lewis Hamilton compared to his other rivals.
Verstappen's title fight with Hamilton in 2021 went to the wire. Chandhok felt that the way Max went up against his Mercedes rival was in sharp contrast to his approach fighting with Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz or George Russell in 2022.
"I think there's a clear difference there," Chandhok explained. "Lewis is the king of the castle, and he has been this generation.
"Max felt that he had to assert himself against Lewis, knock him off his throne," he continued. "Whereas he sees Charles, George, Carlos as his peers and that's why he races them differently."
Verstappen and Hamilton clashed repeatedly during the stormy 2021 campaign, with neither driver willing to back down or give the other driver an inch.
But in the Red Bull driver's frequent battles with Leclerc in 2022 the driving has been noticeably less intense, with each giving the the other a bit more room and respecting their ability.
That might be because Verstappen and Leclerc are from the same generation and rose through the junior ranks together at the same time, giving them an existing common history on which to build their relationship.
"Saudi Arabia this year was a fantastic example of that," said Chandhok, comparing the fight between Verstappen and Leclerc for the lead compared to the Dutch driver's spat with Hamilton at the same venue just months earlier.
"The difference between Lewis and Max there [in 2021] - which was hugely controversial - and Charles and Max this year, it was a superb race,' Chandhok explained. "They finished half a second apart, great racing."
The battle between Verstappen and Russell for victory in the Brazil sprint race was similarly tough but fair, with Russell pulling off a brilliant clean pass despite the Mercedes W13 not being a match for the Red Bull RB18 all year.
But the situation was different when Verstappen and Hamilton found themselves competing for position in the following day's Grand Prix.
Once again there was no give on either side, and there was contact between them as Hamilton pushed through on his way to taking second place behind Russell.
The pair clashed when the race resumed after an early safety car. Verstappen tried to squeeze Hamilton out but the Mercedes man wouldn't have it and kept his foot down, resulting in contact for which Verstappen was penalised.
Verstappen didn't accept that he was in the wrong. He was subsequently forced to make a pit stop for repairs and finished the race in P6, one of his worst results of the season which saw him take a record 15 race wins in 22 outings.
Chandhok's Sky Sports colleague and former f1 champion Damon Hill has also commented about how Verstappen appears to be have been less aggressive this year when competing with drivers other than Hamilton.
"There seems to be some sort of, I don't know, difference of opinion between those two [Verstappen and Hamilton] but less so with Charles Leclerc.
"Charles was a title contender, but Max seemed to kind of deal with it quite comfortably."
"Max wasn't having to fight another team for a world championship, so that feistiness, he didn't seem to have the same reaction to his competition with Charles as he's had with Lewis."
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