Verstappen finally close to Hamilton: 'He is ready for the title fight'

Verstappen ready for the title race

There have only been two rounds of the 2021 World Championship, but Formula 1 is already more alive than ever. After years of dominance by Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing are finally in the mix. The question now is to what extent is Max capable of beating Lewis over a full season?

''He is ripe for the title fight. He has the skills, the speed and now the right resources to compete,'' Berger told Sport Bild. ''Honda has managed to build a car that comes close to Mercedes, and Adrian Newey builds a fast car for Red Bull, and they are always good.''

Challenger to Mercedes

Hamilton still has more experience than Verstappen at the moment, but Berger also sees Verstappen growing more and more. ''With that extra experience Max Verstappen will be able to take himself to an even higher level,'' says the Austrian.

With the new challenger to Mercedes, it does seem that that dominance is finally coming to an end. ''Hopefully they will drop off a bit. Victories by other teams is what creates excitement with the fans. In my opinion Mercedes can always compete for the championship in the way they are organised, also in the years to come'', concludes Berger, who therefore hopes for competition from other teams besides Red Bull Racing.