Max Verstappen says Mercedes will be Red Bull's “main rival” | Does another Lewis Hamilton F1 title battle loom?
Verstappen defeated Hamilton in their showdown at the controversial 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix t💟o win his maiden F1 title, before enjoying a dominant run to his second successive drivers’ crown last season.
Mercedes and Hamilton were unable to challenge for the title in 🐲a torrid 2022 campaign and spent ಌmuch of the season as the third-fastest team following a major regulation overhaul.
But Vers👍tappen admitted Red Bull are bracing themselves for a Mercedes fightback as they look to begin the defence of their world championshipꦺs in 2023.
Asked to assess Mercedes’ prospec🅘ts at Red Bull’s glitzy season launch in New York, Verstappen said: “It’s difficult to say - at the end of the year sometimes it looked like they had it together, sometimes not.
“It’s difficult to say, because I’m not part of their team, if they fully understand everything. I guess we will fi🦄nd 🌳out this year if they understand everything that they want to improve.
“For sure, they will be our main rival.”
The Dutchman added: “Ferrari will be strong. But how str🐽ong? Difficult to s🌜ay.
“Mercedes🎉 have shown over the pas✨t few years that they are always strong, and have a good group of people.
“I trust in our people that they can build a good car, and we will have a strong p🍸ackage against them.”
But Verstappen believes Hamilton is one of several drivers, including his Mercedes teammate 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell, and 2022 rival 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Charles Leclerc, that could threaten to take his F1 crown.
"He's bee🌸n one of tꦰhe greatest drivers ever in the sport, so for sure if he has the car to do it, he can fight for the title again,” he told Sky.
"But that's the same for George [Russell, Hamilton's team-mate]. it's the same for Charles [Leclerc, Ferrari], it's the same for Lando [Norris, McLaren] - 🌃if you give them the car that's capable of winning the championship, they can.
"But it's also about w🍸hen you have𝓀 the car then the pressure comes you cannot afford big mistakes.
"Th🌺at's a bit of a different pressure you have but I'm confident once these guys get onto a roll like that it is al🔯l possible, they all have talent to do so."
Lewis regularly atte♌nds Grands Prix for wuqian0821.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
