Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HAMILTON’S GAME FOR A TITLE SCRAP
LEWIS HAMILTON has told Max Verstappen it is “game on” as Formula One’s title rivals gear up for the fourth chapter of their championship battle in tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Hamilton, 36, holds an eight-point advantage over Verstappen following his second win of the season in Portugal last weekend.
Red Bull started the year with the quickest machine, but there was an all-too-familiar look to the top of the timesheets at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya yesterday, as Hamilton led team-mate Valtteri Bottas (below) in an ominous Mercedes one-two.
Verstappen, 23, finished only ninth after he was forced to abandon his hot lap when he ran wide at the new left-handed turn 10. The Dutchman, who will mark his 100th appearance for Red Bull tomorrow, was only 17 when he was handed his debut by their sister outfit Toro Rosso in 2015.
The following year he was promoted to Red Bull, winning for the team in Spain on his maiden drive after Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided and crashed out.
“Max has more experience now and he is clearly incredibly hungry to win more races and to win this championship so it is game on,” said Hamilton.
“That’s what we are here to do, to race, to be fighting for wins – and the battles that we have had in these first few races have been amazing.
“It is crazy to think there are still 20 races to go and you are seeing the closest battle we have had for some time. Max has a championshipwinning car and a championshipwinning team who can pull off the job if we don’t do ours. From my side, experience will help, but we have to get the job done.”
For now, their rivalry is amicable, but both Mercedes and Red Bull team principals Toto Wolff and Christian Horner do not expect the niceties will last. Verstappen said: “Our relationship is very relaxed.
“We get on very well and when you respect each other and when you can say to each other the other one has done a better job, that is important. We will fight hard but they will, too, which is good for the sport.”
Formula One bosses are assessing whether next month’s Turkish Grand Prix can take place after the country was placed on the Government’s ‘red list’ for travellers.