Max Verstappen embraces Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.Credit:Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton’s team,who failed with two protests in the immediate aftermath of Verstappen’s win on Sunday,still,in theory,have until 7pm Thursday,UK time,when the FIA prize-giving gala takes place in Paris,to lodge their appeal,having registered an intention to do so.
“People say it was a lucky win,” Verstappen said. “Absolutely,the win was very lucky,but we also have been very unlucky throughout the season,otherwise the championship would have been decided way earlier,even with the dominance Mercedes had towards the end. I’m like,well,sometimes a little bit of luck in your life is nice as well.”
“I’m not sweating,” he added of a possible Mercedes appeal. “I had my moment already. It was an amazing moment with the whole team and I do think we deserve it.
“It was very painful for Lewis and I would also be hurt in the way he lost it. But in a way,still between us it’s a bit different because I was fighting for my first title and he already had seven.”
Verstappen also admitted that he and Hamilton “hated each other” at certain points in the year,but that his respect for him was immense.
“I think the little moment we had after the race already,you look each other in the eye,” he said of the moment when Hamilton came up to congratulate him. “You don’t say a lot but you do relate a lot throughout the whole season and you actually really appreciate the fight. Sometimes we did hate each other,but that’s fine,that’s the competitive spirit both of us have.”