Max will be in mix next year
LEWIS HAMILTON expects Max Verstappen to be in the thick of next season’s championship fight.
Hamilton, 33, won the 11th grand prix of his title-winning campaign with a dominant performance at the final race here on Sunday, and celebrated by going backstage at a Guns N’ Roses concert.
The Mercedes star will now appear at a series of personal and team commitments over the next fortnight, before heading to his traditional winter training base in Colorado.
From there he will take stock of a remarkable season which took him to within two titles of Michael Schumacher’s record haul of seven.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who Hamilton beat to the championship with two rounds to spare, will be among his rivals again in 2019, while the Briton has also backed Verstappen to feature prominently.
The Red Bull driver endured an error-prone start to this year but ended it impressively with five consecutive podium finishes, including third place at the Yas Marina circuit.
“Max has been driving very well throughout the year,” said Hamilton.
“He has shown his consistency and he’s been up here many times with us.
“If his team do the job and deliver a platform so he can compete even closer with us, then of course he’ll be in the fight next year.”
Hamilton will collect his championship trophy at the FIA’s prize-giving ceremony in St Petersburg, Russia a week on Friday.