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MONTREAL, QUEBEC – JUNE 08: Pole position qualifier Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari and second place qualifier Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP talk in parc ferme during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
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MONTREAL, QUEBEC – JUNE 08: Pole position qualifier Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari and second place qualifier Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP talk in parc ferme during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
There looks to be a spark of ignition to the rivalry between the two title contenders, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen, since the recently ended Monaco GP. The Dutchman has finally taken the lead on the championship table for the first time in his F1 career.
However, it is undeniably going to be a strenuous job for Verstappen to keep the seven-time world champion at bay. What’s more, the threat isn’t just restricted to racing, as Hamilton and his crew are known well for their mind games.
But Verstappen reckoned that such games will not work against him, as he is very much aware of how strong Mercedes are. Furthermore, he claimed that Hamilton hasn’t faced a tough championship battle in years, including the phase with Sebastian Vettel.
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Formula One F1 – Spanish Grand Prix – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain – May 9, 2021 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium with the trophy after winning the race alongside Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who finished in second place REUTERS/Albert Gea
While Hamilton has constantly stressed his rivalry against the German being intense, it is interesting to hear the Dutchman denying such rivalry taking place between the two.
The Monaco GP winner further claimed that Hamilton and Vettel never had a real battle while the latter was racing for Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton never had to fight for the title: Verstappen
Speaking to Gazzetta, the Dutchman has been looking quite refreshing since the start of this season. And amidst such a positive start to 2021, Verstappen is eagerly waiting to claim his first world championship title.
“I consider it bullshit. They are strong enough, in my mind, to know what I have to do to win. And then Lewis has never had to fight for the title in recent years,” he said.
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“Even with Seb there was no real battle. But that’s okay. People say what they want. I know I’m fast and I’m just waiting for the chance to play for the title. As a team, we have to keep Mercedes under pressure if we want them to be wrong.”
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Formula One F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates winning the race with his team Pool via REUTERS/Sebastien Nogier
Since the start of this season, Hamilton has steadily been extending his championship gap against Verstappen. However, then arrived Monte Carlo. The poor weekend from Mercedes witnessed them lose the lead in both driver’s and the constructor’s lead to Red Bull.
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And this is going to spice things up in an already heated rivalry. So, can we anticipate a fightback from the Stuttgart outfit over the weekend in Baku? Or will Red Bull continue to pull away from Mercedes?
Read More: Hamilton Dismisses ‘Childish’ Mind Games With Title Rival Verstappen
