Lewis Hamilton and George Russell snubbed as F1 legend sends Max Verstappen clear warning

Max Verstappen of Red Bull has romped to the world championship title despite Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton being one of the grid’s strongest pairings.

Emerson Fittipaldi, a two-time world champion, chose Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri over Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as the best driving team on the F1 grid.

McLaren has made an astonishing comeback in the second half of the season, led by Norris and Piastri, who have combined for seven podium finishes and one sprint race victory. The group is now Red Bull’s main rival as the season’s final laps are approached.

From the beginning of the year, when Norris and Piastri were both having difficulty at the back of the grid, it is a remarkable turnaround. Fittpaldi chose the pair over Hamilton and Russell’s Mercedes team as the grid’s strongest pairing as a result of this.

Russell is viewed as a potential future champion, while Hamilton has won seven world championships.
Fittipaldi, however, feels that as teammates, the McLaren duo are setting the bar high.

“I believe what Verstappen is saying is that they are two young talents who are very fast.
Piastri’s performance in his first season of Formula One has surprised me.
He’s fit in very well with the team and the car, he told Vegas Insider.

“I think he’s doing a fantastic job.
We are familiar with Lando Norris’ abilities and qualities.
That’s already been established. And I get what Max is saying, I think. This team’s distribution of equal drivers strikes the sweet spot.

“Being so competitive is beneficial in some ways.
Sure enough, Piastri and Norris are collaborating while pushing the McLaren to its absolute limit. The engineers share knowledge.
Certainly, all of this will enhance McLaren’s performance.

“I recall having a totally open communication structure with Ronnie Peterson, as well as talking to Colin (Chapman) and the team while we were together.
When the drivers work together, I believe that it makes a significant difference.
That has a big impact.
“.

At this weekend’s American Grand Prix, Fittipaldi predicts that the McLarens will present a challenging challenge for champion Max Verstappen.
Fittipaldi insisted that although Verstappen has quickly seized the championship, life in Austin will not be simple for him.

“The pairing for McLaren, in my opinion, works very well.
They’ll have a difficult time passing each other on the track, I have no doubt.
With so many different types of corners, COTA is a very challenging track to get the most performance out of the vehicle, he continued.

Some sections were very challenging to follow.
The others will be missed if you didn’t see the first one.
a very long straight with extremely aggressive braking.
Making the car properly configured and track-ready is, in my opinion, very difficult.

“The same applies to driving, too.
Driving on this track is difficult.
The track is difficult.
The McLarens should be extremely quick there this year, in my opinion.
They’re probably about to reach a point where they can seriously compete with Red Bull. Verstappen still has a significant advantage.
“.