Hamilton warns Verstappen

The battle for the world champion title is far from over. Max Verstappen will arrive at the Sochi circuit as the leader, while Lewis Hamilton will do everything to reclaim his position. In Monza, the two drivers collided in the first chicane and had to retire from the race. There is no doubt that this mishap is already forgotten by the two rivals.

This season, Verstappen has never been so close to winning his first world title. He is ahead of Hamilton by only five points. But he has never found himself in this position before. The seven-time world champion is familiar with this situation. He won his first title in 2008 with McLaren, but had finished second the previous year. Today, with seven titles, the reigning champion is used to it. Being the leader is an additional pressure for a driver that requires him not to make mistakes. With his experience, the Briton warns Verstappen, as this pressure can catch up with him towards the end of the season.

« Obviously, he won’t admit it, and I’m not going to make any assumptions. I remember what it was like when I got my first title. It was difficult, intense, and I went through a lot of different emotions. I didn’t always handle it well, and that’s normal. There is a lot of pressure when you work in a top team. There are high expectations and pressure because the desire to win is enormous.

Hamilton acknowledges that it is a difficult season, but this unprecedented rivalry has allowed him to draw some lessons from it. The last time he had fought so fiercely was against his then teammate, Nico Rosberg, in 2016. The former best friends had engaged in a fierce battle for the title, ultimately won by Rosberg.

« Time will tell, but I hope so. It has been an incredibly tough year. The team’s performance with the car and everything else has not been smooth. There has been a lot of learning in the first thirteen races.

Hamilton confident for Sochi

After parting ways on bad terms in Italy, Hamilton says he is confident for this weekend’s race. He has no doubt that they will both be professional and act intelligently if, once again, they were to compete against each other in the race.

« What is important is that we continue to run fiercely, but fairly. I have no doubt that we will both be professionals and learn from the past. I never expect a driver to step back. That’s not how I approach racing with drivers. We all have to be smart. It’s really only through experience that you find this balance. »

Verstappen is on track to win the championship, but he only has a five-point lead over his rival, Hamilton. The seven-time world champion is waiting for a mistake from the Dutchman to regain the lead. It is worth noting that both drivers will have to change their engine at some point and take penalties at the start of certain races.