Verstappen hopes for more competition: 'That would be great'

For the neutral F1 fan, it is a dream scenario, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton ensuring a reprise of the 2021 season. For now though, the gap between the Red Bull Racing and Mercedes drivers is huge, with Verstappen finishing 24 seconds ahead of the seven-time world champion in Spain. In the end, the Grand Prix did end with a picture as fans have frequently seen: Verstappen and Hamilton together on the podium.

Hamilton said after the Grand Prix, in which the Briton finished second, that he was looking forward to a renewed battle with his rival. "I feel fit and healthy, and I think that was a solid race for me, and I think I want to keep going for as long as I can. I want to be where he [Max] is, or racing him at least. Super focused on getting to that point, but there's a long way to go," Hamilton said.

Max Verstappen would not mind at all if Hamilton and his teammate George Russell entered a championship battle at some point. "Yeah, I think it's great for the sport in general, right, if you have more teams fighting up front," the Dutchman told the press conference.

"That's, I think, what they want to achieve so honestly that would be amazing, to have more drivers really up there, and hopefully throughout the year it will already get closer and maybe next year there are more teams really up there," said the driver who is on his way to his third world title with apparent ease.