Max Verstappen defended his own actions as he discussed his regular on-track scuffles with Lewis Hamilton over the last two seasons.
The pair were the protagonists in a blockbuster title battle in 2021. Verstappen won it on the last lap of the year in controversial circumstances, but that was only after several flashpoints between them including the Dutchman's high-speed smash at Silverstone and both of them crashing out in Italy.
Hamilton was not in the title race last year thanks to his less competitive Mercedes car, but still there were flashpoints. The most notable came towards the end of the season, as they collided on-track in Brazil.
Verstappen's tussle with his closest 2022 rival, Charles Leclerc, was much more friendly. They raced closely and hard on many occasions, but at no point did it spill over into anything unsavoury either on or off the track.
The fact he was able to do that with the Monegasque – and Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell – seems to have puzzled Verstappen. He told Motorsport.com : "I have to be careful what I'm saying here but, with everyone I've been fighting this year, it's been really hard, aggressive battles and we never really came together.
"Somehow, with Lewis it's a different story and I honestly don't understand. Like, this year – okay, we haven't really had a lot of battles – but Brazil we got together. It was not my intention [that we crashed]. I got the blame for it, which I didn't find fair. If it would've been more of a racing incident, that I could live with.
"But... I don't understand. Maybe it's just a generation thing – that we understand each other better, we are racing nicer to each other. I don't get it. I don't feel like I'm doing anything different to Lewis or to the other drivers in terms of how we're racing.
"Because the day before with George [in the Brazil Sprint] we were having an incredible [fight], closing the door, defending, out-braking each other. That was a lot of fun and I was trying to do the same in the main race – having that kind of battle. But, unfortunately we couldn't get it to work.
"I always respect Lewis a lot for what he has achieved in the sport, but that's why I don't really understand why we cannot really race like I've been doing with the others. Of course, everyone is different in their approach. I know that Charles is a bit different to George, or to Carlos [Sainz] or to Checo [Perez], or whoever."
