Verstappen: "Hamilton hasn't had to fight for the title for years"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing had a banner weekend in Monaco, taking over the lead in the championship for both drivers and constructors. The Dutchman says he intends to keep the pressure on Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes for the rest of the season.
Verstappen does not fear mental battle with Hamilton
Asked if he is ready for the mental battle with Hamilton, he waved away. "I think that's nonsense. I'm quite strong mentally and know what I need to do to win," he said in a conversation with Gazzetta dello Sport. "Also, Hamilton has not had to fight for the title for years. That year with Vettel was not a real title fight anyway."
He continued: "People say what they want to say. I know I have to be fast and I'm just waiting for my chance to fight for the title. As a team we have to keep putting pressure on Mercedes if we want them to start making mistakes."
"Lewis has almost always beaten his teammates, which is why we agree he is one of the best Formula One drivers ever," Verstappen continued. "But Mercedes has been so dominant in recent years that he hasn't had any rivals outside his own team. Even Ferrari had that in their golden years. I hope this will be one of those rare championships where the battle goes on until the end of the season. We can win the title with Red Bull, and that's why I race," said the 23-year-old Limburger.