Double Formula 1 and reigning World Champion Max Verstappen would welcome the challenge of a title rematch against Lewis Hamilton, clearly short on the memories of the bent metal and tears left in the wake of their fierce battles not long ago.
Verstappen claimed another dominant victory in this year’s campaign, this time at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday following yet another one-sided display in his dominant Red Bull RB19. Hamilton was second to Verstappen with George Russell third in the other Mercedes.
This season, Verstappen has won five of the opening seven rounds to establish a commanding 53-point championship lead over teammate Sergio Perez. But Mercedes’ awakening at Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya provided Hamilton with new hope that his dream of a record eighth F1 world title is not over.
Hamilton has not won a race since Jeddah in 2021, and also since the contentious F1 title-deciding defeat to Verstappen at the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi. The Briton told reporters in Barcelona that he would continue in F1 for as long as possible in order to fight Verstappen for the title again.
This year, 25-year-old Verstappen is on course to a hat-trick of F1 titles, however, when asked how excited he would be about the prospect of going toe-to-toe with Hamilton next year, Verstappen replied: “It would be great for the sport.”
Max: Maybe next year there will be more teams up there
“If there are more teams fighting upfront, and that is what they want to achieve, then honestly that would be amazing. Hopefully, throughout the year it will get closer, and maybe next year there will be more teams up there,” added the Dutch ace.
Hamilton, 38 – has only six months to run on his current Mercedes contract – supposedly met with team principal Toto Wolff on Monday in the hope of rubber-stamping a new deal.
PA Media understands that this is part of a series of discussions between Hamilton and Wolff, and is not thought to be a definitive moment in negotiations. Thus no deal is expected to be inked or announced anytime soon despite both parties claiming it’s a mere formality to be finalised over a coffee.
It is expected that Hamilton’s extension will be a multi-year deal, thus remaining in F1 beyond his 40th birthday: “I am working as hard as I can with this team and I see so much strength with the team. They are still so hungry.
“I’m focused on making sure we have the car next year to challenge Red Bull from day one,” said Hamilton, who is already 83 points behind Verstappen in the 2023 F1 drivers standings a shown in the graphic below.
“These guys will take two seconds to enjoy themselves on Sunday and then they will be back in the books trying to figure out how we can win the next race and that is what I love about them,” concluded Hamilton, who next heads to Montreal, venue of his first Grand Prix victory in 2007, and a place where he has won seven times in the past, only matches by the great Michael Schumacher.
