Lewis Hamilton fans defend Ted Kravitz as Max Verstappen snubs Sky Sports

On Oct 30, 2022

F1 champion Max Verstappen has decided to snub Sky Sports over comments made by reporter Ted Kravitz.

Speaking in his popular Notebook show during last weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Kravitz said Lewis Hamilton had been “robbed” amid the controversial finish to last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which saw Verstappen clinch the title on the final lap following race director Michael Masi’s incorrect handling of a safety car period.

Kravitz was discussing the race, which saw Verstappen overtake Hamilton late on to win, when he said: “[Hamilton] doesn’t win a race all year, and then finally comes back at a track where he could win the first race all year, battling the same guy who won the race he was robbed in the previous year, and manages to finish ahead of him.

“What a script and a story that would have been. But that’s not the way the script turned out today, was it?

“Because the guy that beat him after being robbed actually overtook him, because he’s got a quicker car, because of engineering and Formula 1 and design, and pretty much because of [Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s chief technical officer] over there.”

Those comments have clearly irked Verstappen, who refused to speak to Sky Sports reporters from the UK as well as the broadcaster’s sister channels in Italy and Germany after qualifying on pole for tonight’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Red Bull are said to be unhappy with Ted Kravitz’s perceived criticism of Max Verstappen
(Image: Sky Sports F1)

The saga has divided opinion on social media, with Hamilton and Verstappen fans again split as the fallout from Abu Dhabi 2021 drags on almost a year after the event.

One fan said: “Ted Kravitz is a Formula One geek. He knows every single thing about the sport which is why 99% of the time he’s the only one on Sky Sports to actually speak sense. He knows Lewis was robbed of his 8th WDC because he knows his stuff.”

Another pointed out: “Irony isn’t lost on me that Lewis Hamilton was able to shake his opponent’s hands on the podium after AD21, and said opponent can’t even take any (factual) criticism from Ted Kravitz.”

What do you think about Max Verstappen’s stance on Ted Kravitz? Tell us in the comments section below.

Ted Kravitz on duty for Sky Sports
(Image: Sky Sports F1)

A third said: “Got to love Ted Kravitz, not only is he the only F1 correspondent to have the balls to actually say the truth regarding Abu Dhabi but he has the power to have stopped Red Bull and Max speaking this entire weekend us race fans. Thank you, Ted, I guess the saying is true TRUTH HURTS.”

Another fan commented: “Let’s be clear: The #SkyF1 boycott isn’t about whether Ted Kravitz is telling the truth or not (he is). It’s about him saying things we don’t want people to hear.”

One tweeter believes Verstappen has overreacted to Kravitz’s comment. They said: “Some context: Ted Kravitz was talking about the movie Brad Pitt is making and said what of the script goes like this. Then detailed what last season was all about + this season. Is it really something worth getting worked up over?