Lewis Hamilton has been involved in a series of great rivalries during his Formula 1 career. Hamilton entered F1 back in 2007 and has almost always competed at the front.

While Kimi Raikkonen eventually won the title, Hamilton’s biggest enemy in his rookie year was McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso. The acrimonious partnership only lasted a year, with Alonso returning to Renault after they finished level on points.

The following year, Hamilton’s chief competitor was Felipe Massa. Massa thought he’d won the championship at his season-ending home race in Brazil, only for the British driver to pass Timo Glock at the final corner and snatch the title.

Hamilton and Massa came to blows numerous times during the 2011 season. But at that point, Sebastian Vettel had unseated him as the sport’s youngest champion and taken a grip on the sport.

Vettel would win four straight titles between 2010 and 2013, with Alonso coming closer than Hamilton to ending that streak. But they would renew hostilities later in the decade after the German driver moved to Ferrari.

This time, it was roles reversed as Vettel tried to break Hamilton’s stranglehold. Nico Rosberg retired as champion in 2016 after his relationship with his teammate deteriorated, leaving Hamilton as the clear number one in a dominant Mercedes team that now featured Valtteri Bottas.

Lewis Hamilton abandoned social media because Max Verstappen ‘settled in his heart’

Hamilton saw off Vettel in 2017 and 2018 and, by the end of 2020, he was on a run of four straight championships, or six in seven years. But Max Verstappen stepped forth to end it.

He succeeded where Vettel had failed by defeating Hamilton in a truly unforgettable 2021 season. Speaking on the RacingNews365 podcast, Tom Coronel reflected on the psychological damage he inflicted.

Verstappen passed Hamilton on the final lap of the season finale in Abu Dhabi to win the title after FIA race director Michael Masi incorrectly applied the restart rules. Coronel says the Mercedes star felt this blow in his ‘heart’, prompting a two-month absence from social media.

“Look carefully at what Max did during the Lewis Hamilton period,” he said. “He didn’t get to his head. He got under his skin, settled in his heart and stabbed a knife. He just went crazy, he deleted his Instagram account and he left the world for half a year.”

The clear sign that the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has eased

When in direct competition, drivers will often exchange public barbs. But if that rivalry eases, the mutual respect overshadows the animosity.

Hamilton and Verstappen hardly seemed to be on speaking terms by the end of 2021. Toto Wolff admits he should have called Jos Verstappen after the title chasers collided at the British GP, leading to a 51G impact for the Dutchman.

Now, however, their relationship seems relatively healthy. The Red Bull driver has been chasing race wins and championships, while his old adversary is struggling to get on the podium.

It was telling that Hamilton warmly congratulated Verstappen after his phenomenal drive in Brazil. He won the race from 17th on the grid, and the Instagram exchange showed that the bitterness has faded.