Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen salute mutual respect after latest battle

Pair went wheel to wheel again at Portuguese Grand Prix
Verstappen: ‘I have full trust in Lewis, we give each other space’

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have both saluted the hard but fair racing that has characterised their close rivalry so far in a highly competitive Formula One season. The two drivers once more went head to head at the Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday with Hamilton coming out on top and after they had battled wheel to wheel both drivers expressed a mutual respect and trust for one another that has come to define their racing relationship.

At the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve Hamilton and Verstappen raced hard with each other for the third race in succession this season. With Hamilton in second place behind his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, Verstappen made a superb restart after a safety car period, jumping Hamilton and passing him round the outside through turn one. Then when the Dutch driver made a small error several laps later Hamilton pounced, similarly sweeping past his rival through turn one and making it stick by holding his line through turn three. Both moves were hard, elbows-out racing but fair and acknowledged as such by both drivers.