The Lewis Hamilton v Max Verstappen rivalry is like the perfect remaster of the classic Ayrton Senna v Alain Prost battle. They are two supremely talented drivers, passionate, and fiercely aggressive, who believe that the right is on their side. But for Hamilton, only one thing can push this whole thing over the edge.

To say that their 2021 rivalry was heated would be a massive understatement. They’ve arguably not seen eye-to-eye since. But jabs have only been dealt in the media, through words. Long gone are the days when we’d see drivers like Nelson Piquet squaring off and punching one another, right? But according to Hamilton, there’s only one ‘if‘.

On the Desus & Mero show for Showtime, the 7x Champion was asked whether the things between the duo ever got heated to the point where they’d almost squared off. To which Hamilton replied, “Nah, well, look I’m 36, so you know he’s 25. Um, I’ve got to set an example.”

But according to the Brit, he’d not hesitate to get his hands dirty with the now 2x Champion.

“Now, if he was 36, things would be different!”

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Things seem to be under control as of now between the two. A big factor being the performance gap between Mercedes and Red Bull which has meant that the two aren’t often fighting for the same position. That being said, Helmut Marko isn’t the one to shy away from adding some fuel to the ever-present fire.

Helmut Marko issues blatant warning to Lewis Hamilton for 2023 and beyond

Red Bull and Max Verstappen have been utterly dominant this season. That being said, Lewis Hamilton and Co. would surely work hard over the winter to come back in 2023 with a fighting chance. But Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was quick to shut down any Mercedes hopes.

He began by saying, “We have never been so dominant, this was our best season ever, and Max will only get better. Look at the last race (in Abu Dhabi), he won in a relatively easy way. I really expect him to improve even more in the next few years. As a team we have done an outstanding job this season.”

“The motivation to come out stronger in 2023 will only be bigger.”

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Has Helmut Marko jumped the gun? Can the Mercedes resurgence begin in 2023 with Lewis Hamilton coming out all guns blazing to dethrone Max Verstappen and claim that elusive 8th World Title?