Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen
Alex Brotherton
Lewis Hamilton has taken another dig at rival Max Verstappen with the Formula 1 champion set to receive a hefty penalty ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
As two of the biggest names in F1, Hamilton and Verstappen have developed a frosty relationship in recent years while trying to out-fox each other.
The latest chapter in their rivalry unfolded on Sunday when the pair were involved in a crash towards the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Verstappen's car was lifted into the air after he locked up and clipped Hamilton's front tyre while attempting to overtake the Englishman coming out of a corner on lap 63.
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The reigning F1 champions was unable to recover and had to settle for a fifth place finish for the second time in three races.
Hamilton came third behind McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, although Verstappen still leads the standings and is on course to win the Drivers' World Championship for a fourth successive year.
Neither driver was penalised by stewards following the incident, a decision Verstappen was fuming with.
The Red Bull driver was clearly frustrated after the race, as much with Hamilton as he was with himself and his race engineer Gianpiero Lambia.
Verstappen was called "childish" on the team radio, while he also clashed several times with Lambia.
Hamilton blamed Verstappen for the crash, but as he said to his team during the race, he viewed it as no more than "just a racing incident."
But ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend, Hamilton took a dig at Verstappen over his conduct and attitude towards his team members.
"You have to be a team leader, a team member," the Mercedes driver said.
"Maybe not so much a team leader but more so just always remember you are a team-mate with lots of people and you have to act like a world champion."
When asked what that entails, the 39-year-old replied: "That's a good question... Not like it was last weekend."
While neither driver was punished following the crash, Verstappen is set to receive a 10-place grid penalty in Belgium after exceeding his engine allowance.
According to Sky Sports, Red Bull have chosen for Verstappen to take the engine penalty at Spa-Francorchamps as the circuit offers the potential for overtaking.