Lewis Hamilton, who currently leads the world driver's championship, said his title rival Max Verstappen drives like he has a lot to prove.
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Lewis Hamilton is known for engaging in relentless warfare with his Formula 1 opponents, both on and off the track. With a crucial race in Monaco coming up next, the seven-time world champion is at it again. Hamilton, who currently leads the world driver’s championship, said his title rival Max Verstappen drives like he has a lot to prove.
“I think I’ve done well to avoid all the incidents so far, but we’ve got 19 more (races) to go and we could connect, hopefully not. I think perhaps (Max) feels he has a lot to prove,” Hamilton said at a press briefing in Monte Carlo.
“I’m not necessarily in the same boat there and I’m more long-term, ‘it’s a marathon not a sprint’ sort of mentality, which is ultimately why I have the stats that I have.
“So I’ll continue with that and I’ll do everything to make sure that we avoid connecting.”
Verstappen, however, bristled at the suggestion. “I have nothing to prove. And avoiding contact, I think it goes both ways. So we have done well, that’s true.
“But we race hard, we’ve avoided contact both sides. So let’s hope we can keep doing that and keep being on track and racing hard against each other.”
“Red Bull are going to be very, very hard to beat this weekend. This is a track that has always been strong for them, and given how close the gap is between us, you can imagine this weekend they could be ahead.”
“But we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that’s not the case.”
Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff agreed.
“We head into the weekend knowing they are the team to beat,” said the Austrian.
“It’s such a unique, intense weekend for the drivers and the team, with no margin for error. It puts the fire under your ass, and we love the challenge.”
Hamilton and Verstappen are first and second respectively in the driver’s championship standings. Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas is third, with McLaren’s Lando Norris in fourth.
Monaco’s own Charles Leclerc rounds up the top five.
