Max Verstappen missed media day at the Miami Grand Prix following the birth of his daughter. He was given special dispensation to stay with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet for an extra 24 hours.
Verstappen reported to the circuit on Friday and showed no sign of being unprepared. He qualified P4 for the Sprint and was running third before his race took a disastrous turn.
Red Bull released the Dutchman into the path of Kimi Antonelli, and he lost his front wing endplate in the contact. Lewis Hamilton passed him on track as he nursed the damage, and a 10-second penalty demoted him to last place following the safety car.
Meanwhile, Hamilton was frustrated after Sprint qualifying after he could only manage P7. Closer to Charles Leclerc than he was in Saudi Arabia, he nonetheless lamented Ferrari’s performance limitations.
But Hamilton produced a strategic masterclass in the Saturday race, timing his switch to slick tyres almost perfectly. That saw him climb to third, his second-best result as a Ferrari driver.
Max Verstappen commends Lewis Hamilton on early arrival at Miami Grand Prix
Red Bull posted a video on Instagram showing Verstappen arriving at the Miami Grand Prix circuit ahead of Saturday’s track action. It was clear from the lighting that it was still early in the morning, with the Sprint not due to start until 12pm local time.
Verstappen, who arrived in a Ford 4 x 4, gestured to the other side of the car park, where Hamilton had already pulled up. He signalled his respect for the 40-year-old’s commitment.
“You see that, by the way?” he said. “Seven-time world champion, four-time world champion – the first in.”
Hamilton and Verstappen are the two most successful drivers on the grid. In addition to their 11 combined titles, they have won 169 Grands Prix – more than every team except McLaren and Ferrari.
Paddock insiders noticed that Hamilton stayed late into the night in Saudi Arabia last month. His commitment can’t be questioned, even if his results have been disappointing.
How Damon Hill reacted to Max Verstappen’s Lewis Hamilton remark
1996 world champion Damon Hill saw Verstappen’s comment on Instagram and reacted on his story. He described the duo as ‘the early birds’.
They were bitter rivals during the 2021 season, but their relationship has partially recovered since. That’s aided by the fact that they’ve rarely been in direct competition.
Following last year’s Sao Paulo GP, Hamilton praised Verstappen’s ‘amazing drive’. His charge from 17th to first effectively sealed his fourth world championship.
On the other hand, Verstappen congratulated Hamilton at Silverstone when he ended his multiple-year victory drought. Even if they may never be friends, the mutual respect is clear.
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