Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen rolled back the years at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, battling wheel-to-wheel for second place before producing one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend away from the track.
The two Formula 1 champions were caught sharing a light-hearted exchange in the cooldown room following the race, with fans praising the interaction as a reminder of how far their relationship has evolved since their infamous 2021 title battle.
Hamilton finished second behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli after overtaking Verstappen in the closing stages at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, securing his best Grand Prix result since joining Ferrari.
As the trio gathered in the cooldown room ahead of the podium ceremony, Hamilton immediately referenced their intense battle.
“I couldn’t shake you!” Hamilton said with a smile.
Verstappen replied by explaining where he felt he was making up time.
“The middle chicanes, every time you’d pull three tenths, but then I just got it back on the straight.”
Hamilton simply laughed and responded: “It was mad.”
The Red Bull driver then complimented Hamilton’s pace through Turn 6, capping off an exchange that quickly went viral across social media.
Lewis Hamilton enjoys reliving Max Verstappen F1 rivalry
The cooldown room conversation came after one of the pair’s closest on-track fights in recent seasons.
Hamilton spent much of the second stint hunting down Verstappen before finally completing a decisive move for second place with seven laps remaining.
The seven-time world champion later admitted the duel reminded him why he fell in love with racing.
“It was awesome, absolutely awesome to fight with one of the greats,” Hamilton said after the race.
“I love that hunt. That’s my whole life has been about that since a kid.
“So, it was amazing to be back in that position and hunting down a champion up ahead.”
Verstappen also enjoyed the contest despite eventually losing the position.
“It was very good. I enjoyed it a lot,” the Dutchman said.
“We were pushing flat out and it was just very nice for me.”