Lewis Hamilton continues to minimize the significance of Max Verstappen's record-breaking win streak, attributing the difference to the quality of their respective teammates. On the eve of the Italian GP, Hamilton sparked a debate by criticizing the caliber of drivers supporting Verstappen, asserting that his own teammates—including the likes of Nico, Valtteri, George, Fernando, and Jenson—were far more formidable competitors.
Hamilton emphasized that he faced a level of reliability and strength from his teammates that Verstappen has never had to deal with. Verstappen countered by suggesting Hamilton was acting out of jealousy, then went on to make history at Monza by overtaking Carlos Sainz for his 10th straight victory. Hamilton, whose personal record stands at five consecutive wins, brushed the whole thing off, stating that he doesn't place much value on statistics or records.
He stood by the idea that his victories were more spread out because he was fighting against top-tier talent in his own garage, noting that Bottas, for instance, was frequently blistering fast. Looking back, Hamilton's five-win streaks were cut short by Nico Rosberg in Brazil in 2014 and by the global pandemic in 2020. Neither Hamilton nor the Mercedes team could have predicted that by the end of 2021, Verstappen and Red Bull would snatch the World Championship away in a dramatic Abu Dhabi finale.
Since that Abu Dhabi race, Verstappen has been nearly untouchable, winning 27 out of 36 Grands Prix and failing to take the top spot only four times in his last 25 races. Meanwhile, Hamilton has yet to secure a victory since 2021. This indifference toward the record is a sentiment shared by Toto Wolff, who joked that such stats are merely for Wikipedia and don't really matter in the real world.
Hamilton told reporters that these kinds of milestones mean nothing to him, noting that they weren't a priority during the peak of the Mercedes era. He admitted he didn't even keep track of their winning streaks, explaining that a long run of victories simply proves a great driver is in a superior car. He concluded by saying it's hard to comment on an achievement he didn't even know was being tracked until the day before.