Hamilton-Verstafen, two antipode pilots

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Max Staffen (Red Bull) have the same goal: they are fighting for the world title in Formula 1 on Sunday in Bahrain, but in principle they are in antipode.

One is the seven-time champion who won the most awards in F1 with Michael Schumacher. The other is the first time he has become a champion. One is close to the twilight of his career at the age of 37, and the other is still at dawn even when he starts his eighth season at 24.

Born on January 7, 1985 in the boarding city of Stevenage in northern London, the Englishman “Sir Lewis” became the first and only black rider to break the glass ceiling of elite motorsport.

Born in Hasselt, son of a Belgian mother who traveled to Belgium in a wheelchair on September 30, 1997 and was a driver of Formula 1 “Mad Max”, his father became the youngest F1 driver (17 years old in 2015) and the youngest Grand Prix winner (2016, 18).

To get to the top, the two opponents went in very different ways.

In the Netflix series “Drive to Survive,” Hamilton said, “The desire for victory is deeply engraved because he was the last chosen person on the playground. “I was definitely better than most of the players I've been with, but I was the only black boy I was standing in line with,” he emphasized.

Stanappen, born on a ranch, explains in a documentary on the Viaplay platform, in a caravan with his father, referring to “a difficult moment in a karting that requires a lot of travel” (he refuses to comment on Netflix).

On the track, on the ranch or at the press conference, they are different. Hamilton, who regularly works at Fashion Weeks, stands out for his designer outfits, while Stanoppen is still a classic.

It is clear that Hamilton will take a position on human rights in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia next week.Vegan, a British person who has become a minority lawyer, also takes a stance on protecting the environment.

Verstappen does not apply too much to these problems. “Going down to Earth” seems to only take care of the track and family, but everything is connected. Age can play an important role in the difference between Hamilton, who is already thinking about what to do after building a career, and Vertappen, who is still ahead of himself.

On the highway, Hamilton is perceived as “clean”. Although Vestappen is often described as “aggressive”, today he protects himself as “I am much calmer and calmer.”

English, of course, has the prospect of an old sage who won six times between 2014 and 2020.With a lion tattoo on his chest, he ruled for a long time without inaccessible predators. Except that Verstafen has a lion with a totem animal depicted on his helmet.

- Fight or camp battle? -

Their competition is not new, and the roots are the arrival of a young Dutch in 2015. For a long time, “King Lewis” settled on a sharp remark, watching him without worries. After the first crash in 2018, Hamilton counted the Dutch “lack of maturity”.

“It's easy to blame the youngest,” Stankappen said. The duel has begun, but only Red Bull cars remain to match Mercedes. Since 2014, Mercedes has provided Hamilton with a very dominant vehicle and an increase in hybrid technology.

In 2020, Max did not shut up. “Lewis is very good and, of course, one of the best, but he's not a god.” Nevertheless, Hamilton won again. After winning four world titles with Sebastian Vettel (2010 to 2013), he had to wait until 2021 to see Red Bull again.

From Silverstone to Abu Dhabi, Monza or São Paulo, they fought to the end in a high-speed confrontation, overtaking exciting processing across the border. The justification is controversial. Especially when Hamilton, who was injured in favor of Stanafen, who caught up with him in the last round, was finalized.

If the Red Bull car had a Monza crash with a silver arrow ending with a symbol, what would the competition look like in 2022? Until now, other drivers like Charles Leclerc and Ferrari from Carlos Sainz want to step on the ring. If so, will it be a duel or a pitching battle?

/ng/gf//