Hamilton takes SWIPE at Verstappen with pointed F1 team-mate jibe

Lewis Hamilton has given his honest opinion on Max Verstappen's team-mates, suggesting that no one has genuinely posed a significant challenge to the Dutch driver.

Verstappen is currently in the midst of a dominant era at Red Bull, claiming victory in 11 of the 13 races so far.

Despite the Dutchman's joy this year, there has been speculation over his Red Bull team-mate, Sergio Perez, and whether he will retain his seat after a series of unfortunate results in 2023.

READ MORE: Monza ‘CURSE’ looming over Verstappen ahead of Italian Grand Prix

And Hamilton has now voiced his own opinion on the Red Bull line-up, claiming that Verstappen has never really had competition from his team-mates.

“I think the team as a whole, it’s one of the strongest [ever],” Hamilton said to Sky Sports. “They’re firing on all cylinders right now.

"The car is incredible, the driver is doing an amazing job, very consistent. The pit crew are doing a great job, the mechanics are doing a good job, the strategy is doing a good job, like on point. You can’t fault them.

“In my personal opinion, Valtteri [Bottas], and actually all of my team-mates have been stronger than the team-mates that Max has had. Jenson [Button], Fernando [Alonso], George [Russell], Valtteri [Bottas], Nico [Rosberg].

"Absolutely, these guys have all been very very strong, very consistent. Max is not racing against anyone like that."

Red Bull Competition

Even though Mercedes dominated the 2019 and 2020 F1 seasons, Hamilton consistently faced a credible challenge from his team-mate, Bottas.

The seven-time world champion also had a fierce rivalry with his former team-mate, Nico Rosberg, in the 2016 season. The two drivers battled intensely for the drivers' championship, with the competition going down to the wire.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also expressed his confusion about Perez’s inability to compete with Verstappen despite being in the same car.

“We have seen it all these years, Checo is a Grand Prix winner - a multiple Grand Prix winner, so I cannot comprehend,” Wolff told the media. “We’ve seen that Max has destroyed every single team-mate that was with him.

"Whether it is his ability to create a car around himself that is just very tricky to control, but fast when you can (control it), and that creates those gaps."

However, Verstappen responded strongly to Wolff’s comments claiming they were 'bull**** comments'.

“It’s not like that, I just drive the car the fastest way possible," Verstappen said.

"I’m not there to tell the guys 'give me more because that’s how I like it,” Verstappen said. “I just say to design me the fastest car and I’ll drive around that because every single year, every car drives a little bit differently.”

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