Hamilton at odds with Verstappen with ‘boring’ claim

Lewis Hamilton has stated winning from pole position in F1 is “so boring” as he highlighted his preference to fight through numerous cars en route to victory.

Hamilton returned to winning ways this year at the British Grand Prix, breaking a streak that had lasted over two and a half years during which time he failed to reach the top step of the podium.

In the seasons before Mercedes’ slump in form, Hamilton was a consistent race winner as the Silver Arrows possessed the most competitive car in the field.

Many of his career victories have come from pole position  – 61 out of his 105 – however Hamilton admitted he finds unchallenged runs to the chequered flag tedious.

“Oh God, it’s so boring,” the seven-time world champion told Performance People. 

“Honestly, starting from first, leading the race all the way through, it’s really boring compared to fighting from the back and having racing.”

Hamilton – You could be on a test

Hamilton’s point of view differs from that of former title rival Max Verstappen who previously expressed pleasure in dominating at the front of the field.

“It’s not racing,” Hamilton continued. “You could be on a test. 

“You are fighting a time gap behind you. [But] you have to psych yourself into thinking that you’re fighting a car ahead or something like that. You have to be chasing something. 

“But it’s different when you have a car or cars ahead of you and there’s a track that you can overtake, like Austin or Silverstone, for example. 

“Different lines you’re trying to discover, utilising the tyres, the wind, crosswinds, all these different things.

“And then you finally get someone in a battle, that’s the best thing. That’s the most rewarding experience as a driver.”