Lewis Hamilton fears he will be taken to the Max by Red Bull’s Verstappen at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix
- Red Bull’s Verstappen is currently ahead in the Driver’s Championship on 131
- Sir Lewis is hot on his heels with 119, with both drivers having won three races
- Hamilton has a chance to make up some ground on his rival at the Styrian GP
Lewis Hamilton fears the threat of Max Verstappen at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull man won at France’s Circuit Paul Ricard last weekend, a brilliant victory that his team called right strategically to take him to his third victory of the season. It moved Verstappen 12 points clear of Hamilton after seven rounds of 23.
Ahead of the next race at the Red Bull track in Austria, Hamilton said: ‘It’s a power-hungry circuit, with long straights, so we could see something similar to this past weekend given the straight-line speed of the Red Bull.
Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton (right) has admitted he fears the threat of Max Verstappen (left)
‘We’ve got three days to see if we can make any adjustments and improvements.
‘Maybe, if we maximise absolutely everything, we can give them a run for their money.’
Verstappen, who started on pole in France, will be boosted by thousands of Dutch fans travelling to Spielberg to lend their vocal support.
Red Bull’s Verstappen came out on top against Hamilton at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France
The championship leader, who has twice won in Austria, said: ‘I’m looking forward to it because it’s like a home grand prix for me.
‘We’ve had good results in the past but that doesn’t mean it will be a guarantee this year. I’m expecting it to be close again.’
Red Bull moved 37 points clear of Mercedes in the constructors’ standings after Sergio Perez passed Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas for third place in the closing laps in the south of France.