MAX GETS MAD

Verstappen fears F1 has become boring and vows to give Hamilton the battle that everyone wants to see

MAX VERSTAPPEN says “boring” F1 needs a proper fight – with Lewis Hamilton even admitting that he is now the hunter rather than the hunted.

Both Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas are adamant Red Bull have the strongest car heading into the Emilia Romagna GP.

Even so, Bottas was fastest in first practice as the session was cut short by a few minutes thanks to a Nikita Mazepin spin in the Haas.

Hamilton was second fastest with the Red Bull of Verstappen in third.

Since 2014, no other team has managed to topple Mercedes off their perch and Verstappen believes he is the man to ignite a sport which he thinks has gone stale.

The Dutch racer said: “F1 needs a proper fight because for the last few years been a bit boring.

“On the Monday after the race, as a fan you really want to be looking forward to the next one, knowing there are two, or even three teams fighting for that win. I guess it has after Lewis won his last six championships where the battle was maybe not as high for him, now being a seventime world champion and the most successful driver in F1, he really wants that battle.

“He has already achieved everything and way more than you can ever imagine.

“But he is like, ‘OK, I am getting towards the end of my career and it is nice to see the younger guys coming up and making it more difficult for me’. And, of course, from my side, I am very happy to make it more difficult for him.”

Hamilton (below, with Verstappen) also recognises that this season will be different from previous ones when he dominated to become a seven-time world champion. He said: “You can see that Red Bull currently are ahead and we are the hunters. We like that position – I like it.

“That’s what I started out with back when I was racing karts at Rye House.

“It’s nothing new for me and it’s definitely exciting.

“We’re under no illusions that we are having to chase.

“We are on the back foot slightly. But I still think we’re the best team.

“As it’s shown in the last race (Verstappen, above left, and Hamilton in Bahrain), there’s so many elements to having the best team, not just having the best car.”

Bottas agreed, and said: “We are behind. But I don’t feel pressure, I feel excitement and motivation.

“We are the hunters, not the ones being hunted. I can definitely see the motivation in each team member’s eyes.”