WE ARE STILL BEHIND LEW SAYS MAX

LEWIS HAMILTON’S

Mercedes remain the team to beat in the new Formula One season, according to Max Verstappen.

After an impressive three days of pre-testing in Bahrain, Verstappen and Red Bull have been tipped to take the championship by storm when it begins at the same Sakhir track on March 28.

In stark contrast, Mercedes were uncharacteristically off the pace and struggled with reliability.

But the Dutchman (pre-testing above) has dismissed suggestions defending champion Hamilton and Mercedes – after an unprecedented streak of seven straight titles – are no longer favourites.

Verstappen, 23, has often been forced to play catch-up on his rivals and knows Hamilton, who enters 2021 hunting a record eighth drivers’ title, will be the front runner.

He said: “Definitely I think it has been the best pre-testing. That doesn’t mean we are happy – we always want to improve and try to be better.

“It’s a bit too early to say but I have positive feelings about the car. But it doesn’t give you any guarantees. And I don’t think we are the favourites.

“If Mercedes win that many championships in a row, I think it’s still the same as before we came to the testing.”

Rookie Haas driver Mick Schumacher, son of legend Michael, is raring to go as the countdown begins to the curtain-raiser.

He said: “I feel ready, I feel ready and confident. I think all the running we did in pre-testing has been very positive.”

HONEST Ellis Genge admits it has been hard

BY

ELLIS GENGE has told of the mental toll rugby’s lockdown winter has taken on players shut away in a bubble for weeks on end.

And he warned Ireland that England fully intend to finish the Six Nations on a high this Saturday to ensure all their sacrifices are not in vain.

Leicester’s bleach-blond prop is into his eighth week in championship isolation, from which Red Rose players and staff have only twice emerged.

Before that they were shut away for long periods between October and December as rugby made up for time lost to the summer sports shutdown.

Genge said: “I’d be lying if I said it’s been easy to be in the same place, every day, for that amount of time. It’s taken its toll on people psychologically.”

England must win in Dublin to avoid finishing outside the top four for only the second time in Six Nations history.

“Our view is we have sacrificed all these freedoms we usually have, so let’s pull together and make something out of it,” Genge said. “As opposed to letting the opportunity pass by.”

England are wary that Ireland will be an emotional force at the Aviva following CJ Stander’s announcement that this is to be his last Test.

“They’ll want to send him off on a high,” said lock Jonny Hill (inset).

“From their point of view it’s about CJ going out with a bang.”