Max Verstappen has laughed off Lewis Hamilton's claims that rules should stop Red Bull from shifting their development focus to next year's vehicle. He suggested that Hamilton has suddenly changed his perspective now that he is no longer the dominant force. These comments follow a sharp critique from Hamilton ahead of the Austrian GP, where he claimed that Red Bull's cost cap penalties have had zero impact on their actual racing performance.
Formula 1 Champion Max Verstappen has laughed off Lewis Hamilton’s complaints that Red Bull should be prevented by F1’s rules from switching focus to next year’s car, claiming the Mercedes driver has changed his tune since his own dominant spell. Former champion Hamilton launched a devastating attack on Red Bull ahead of the team’s home race in Austria this weekend, claiming their punishment for breaching F1’s cost cap has had no effect on their performance on the track.
The British veteran expressed annoyance that Red Bull—who have won every single race so far in 2023—can start designing their 2024 car whenever they want, making it harder for other teams to bridge the gap. To combat this, Hamilton suggested the FIA should ban any work on next season's car until August 1st, specifically to hinder teams that are currently dominating the field.
Looking back, Hamilton's streak of six titles in seven years began with the hybrid era in 2014, leading to an unprecedented eight-year run of Constructors' Championships for Mercedes. That dominance only ended during the dramatic and disputed finale of 2021. Since then, the tide has turned; while Hamilton has struggled to find the winner's circle, Verstappen has been nearly unstoppable, winning 31 of the last 52 races and heading into the Austrian Grand Prix chasing his fifth straight win.
Speaking at the Red Bull Ring on Thursday, the 25-year-old Dutchman showed little sympathy for Hamilton's complaints. Verstappen told Sky Sports F1 that these issues weren't mentioned when Hamilton was the one winning championships, arguing that looking ahead to next year is simply how the sport operates. He noted that while it's natural for trailing drivers to complain, they should remember their own history and how differently they would have reacted if the roles were reversed.
Between 2014 and 2020, Hamilton amassed 73 Grand Prix victories and matched Michael Schumacher's legendary seven world titles. By 2021, he had set new records for the most pole positions and wins in history. However, his momentum shifted significantly in 2022, which became the first season of his career where he failed to win a single race.