Verstappen feels that he has a lot to prove

MONACO — Lewis Hamilton believes a superb degree of respect exists between himself and title rival Max Verstappen, however says the Pink Bull driver nonetheless acts like “he has rather a lot to show”.

Hamilton was talking forward of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, following 4 races of shut competitors with Verstappen to this point this season.

The seven-time world champion, who drives for Mercedes, has a 14-point lead over Verstappen after profitable three of the primary 4 races, however at each spherical to this point, the 2 drivers have discovered themselves combating one another for place on monitor.

Talking at a latest press convention, McLaren CEO Zak Brown mentioned he believed a collision between Hamilton and Verstappen was inevitable sooner or later this 12 months, however Hamilton hopes the 2 drivers will maintain their racing clear.

“I’ve performed effectively to keep away from all of the incidents to this point however we’ve acquired 19 extra to go,” Hamilton mentioned. “We may join, hopefully not.

“I feel the nice factor is I feel there’s a good balanced quantity of respect between us.

“Maybe, as you already know, he feels that he has rather a lot to show, however I’m not essentially in the identical boat there and I’m extra long run.

“It’s a marathon not a dash type of mentality, which is in the end why I’ve the stats that I’ve.

“I’ll proceed with that and I’ll do every part to be sure that we do keep away from connecting.”

When Hamilton’s feedback have been put to Verstappen, the Pink Bull driver mentioned: “I’ve nothing to show. And avoiding contact, I feel it goes each methods, so we have now performed effectively, that’s true.

“However we raced laborious, we averted the contact, each side, let’s hope we are able to maintain doing that and maintain being on monitor and race laborious in opposition to one another.”

Requested if contact with Hamilton was inevitable at some stage, Verstappen added: “I truthfully don’t know what to say any extra about these items.

“We by no means attempt to crash, will we? It’s simply to make a couple of attention-grabbing headlines about that.

“I assume it would get a bit extra views if you say yeah ‘it’s a matter of time’ slightly than we had some nice races to this point.

“Folks will after all clickbait that extra.”

4-time world champion Sebastian Vettel — who was sat subsequent to Verstappen in the course of the press convention on Wednesday — mentioned such feedback come from a lack of knowledge of what it’s prefer to race a contemporary System One automobile.

“I feel one factor individuals exterior, I feel journalists, don’t appear to understands is how shut it’s generally and the way simply issues can go unsuitable with out having any intention,” Vettel mentioned.

“Like Max says, no person goes into an overtake or desires to take the opposite automobile out or himself out as the danger of getting it unsuitable is excessive. However you wish to get previous or defend your place and also you’re taking part in with little or no margins and it’s taking so little to get it unsuitable; however to this point they’ve performed rather well and it reveals the category they each have.

“I don’t see why you’re so excited to attend for a crash.

“I feel you need to be so excited that they managed to race that shut and intense with out crashing — that’s the talent, not crashing.

“I do know for you it’s extra thrilling when there’s bits flying however for us truly I feel we get a blast by managing to be proper on the sting and mastering that.”