Speaking to Sky Italy ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton questioned the pedigree of Verstappen’s teammates and claimed the Dutchman’s dominance has been “blown up much 𒀰more” tꦕhan his own spell of success with Mercedes. 

"It's actually interesting because I was ru🅺nning this morning and I was thinking about this," Hamilton said.

"The narrative, that goes through the൲ media… you know when I qualified half a second, six tenths ahead of Valtteri, they didn't say the same thing as they say today when Max qualifies six tenths ahead of Perez - it's blown up much more.

“A൲nd in my personal opinion, Valtteri, and actually all my team-mates, have 🌺been stronger than the team-mates that Max has had.

"Jenson [Button], Fernando [Alonso], George [Russell], Vaꩲltteri… Nico [Rosberg] - I've had so many.

"These guys have all been very consistent, and Max has not raced against anyone like tha෴t.”

When asked about the comments, two-time world chaꩲmpion Verstappen said he reckoned Hamilton is ♛“jealous” of his current F1 success. 

“Maybe he's a little jealous of my current success? He may think he's winning🔯 something with it, but it really doesn't m▨atter to me,” Verstappen was quoted as saying by Dutch outletsand . 

“You can keep shouting and screaming that it's not that special what we're doing righ🍃t now, but you'd better be more co✨ncerned with yourself. Because that's all you can influence.”

Verstappen, who could claim a record-breaking 10th consecutive victory at Monza, added: “I think they [Mercedes] have a very hard time dealing with loss. That🗹’s kind of the pr💧oblem when you've won everything for so many years in a row. 

“But 𒆙you also have to be realistic. If it's not in it, then it's not in it. And then, I think, you have to be a🦩ble to appreciate what others are doing. 

“We have always done that in the years that Mercedes was so good. We said to each other: we have to work harder, because we are not good enough compare🉐d to Mercedes."