Rivalry’s set to refresh ‘boring F1’ - Verstappen

MAX Verstappen expects his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton to breathe new life into Formula One following the British world champion’s “boring” dominance of the sport.

In an interview with PA ahead of the second round of the season in Imola, Verstappen, 23, inset, says he has the tools to stop Hamilton winning an unprecedented eighth world championship.

Three weeks ago in Bahrain, the grid’s two brightest stars went toeto-toe in the best season-opening round of recent memory, with Hamilton, in his inferior Mercedes, defying the odds to beat Verstappen. Hamilton has won six of the last seven titles in a machine which has predominantly been the class of the field.

But speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Verstappen said: “F1 needs a proper fight because for the last few years it has 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 after Lewis won his last six championships where the battle was maybe not as high for him, now being a seven-time world champion and the most successful driver in F1, he really wants that battle. He’s already achieved everything and way more than you can ever imagine. Winning those amount of titles is very rare and it’s not going to happen many times. But he’s like, ‘okay, I am getting towards the end of my career and it’s nice to see the younger guys coming up and making it more difficult for me’.

Verstappen has been linked with a move to Mercedes, but the driver in his seventh season after making his debut when he was just 17, said: “I’ve a contract at Red Bull until 2023, and I’m very happy where I am.”