Lewis Hamilton has cleared the air with Formula 1 r🎐ival Max Verstappen following their on-track clash at last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix and the comments that followed, saying he wants to maintain the respect the pair share.

Hamilt꧙on called Verstappen a "dickhead"  in the cool-down room after the Red Bull driver made a bold overtake attempt at Turn 1 early in the Bahrain race, resulting in contact between the two drivers. Verstappen retired following the incident after sustaining a puncture, while Hamilton went on to finish on the podium.

Verstappen said on Thursday ahead of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix that it was 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:"simple and 🐓easy♋ to blame the younger driver", adding that he saw nothing wrong with the move.

Hamilton was asked later in the day about Verstappen'🤪s comments, and revealed he shook hands with the Dutchman between their respective media appearances to try and clear the air.

"I generally do my talking on💮 the track. After this incident I didn’t," Hamilton said.

"But I just saw Max for example just now. I think it’s always good to show ꦦrespect. More importantly, being that I’m the older driver, I felt that it was importan🔜t that I went to him.

"So just as we were just signꦰing just now, I just shook his 🅺hand and I was like: ‘Look I’m sorry about the last race.’ Regardless of if it is his fault or my fault, it’s in the past.

"Hopefully, that sign of respect shows a lot and helps ♚you turn the page and move forwards, racing each other and hopefully keeps respect between you as I think that’s important between drivers."

Asked if he would race Verstappen any differently from now on, Hamilton said: "I don’t think so. Look, I have a lot of respect for Max and I hope you can see that from tཧhe comments I’ve said about him in testi♏ng where he’s got great potential to be the champion.

"As we all know he’s such a talented⛦ driver. Jeez, I mean, I was in the same place wheꦗn I was young, similar age, or older actually. But, still it’s such a learning process being with all the pressure, being in a top team.

"He’s going to have some great races and he’s going to ha🧜ve bad races, just as I will do today, even though I’m much older than him."

During the fan auto🌼graph signing session and pit lane walk on Thursday ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton and Verstappen shook hands in a public show of reconciliation.

Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen shake hands after their clash at the Bahrain Gra𒊎nd Pri꧙x

— LAT Images (@latimages)