Max Verstappen believes it will be “interesting” to see if Lewis Hamilton will be among the frontrunners in the coming years, should the Briton extend his Formula 1 stay.
During the Mexican Grand Prix, seven-time World Champion Hamilton revealed his interest in securing a new ‘multi-year’ deal with Mercedes.
The revelation goes against his previous resistance to continue racing in F1 into his forties.
Hamilton has expressed his desire to help Mercedes return to winning ways, with the German marque struggling for success in 2022.
When asked about the potential for racing against the Mercedes’ driver for a few more years, Red Bull’s Verstappen backed Hamilton’s decision, and was curious about the pecking order in the years to come.
“Yeah, he has to do what he feels is right, and as long as he wants to race [then] he should do it,” Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.com.
“I think we’ve already had great battles, and I’m sure that in the coming years all the teams will get a bit closer anyway.
“So, it will be interesting to see who is all up there to fight.”
Verstappen unfazed by lack of Hamilton battles in 2022
Mercedes’ problematic season has frequently put them out of contention for race victories in 2022, with the team only starting the season with sporadic podium finishes.
Whilst their form has improved over the course of the season, they are still without a race victory. This is a complete contrast to Red Bull’s dominant double-championship success.
This means any on-track battles between Hamilton and Verstappen have been rare, with their most recent duels coming at the Dutch, Singapore and United States Grands Prix.
When asked if he had missed the Hamilton battles, Verstappen suggested that he was happy enough with the battles from other drivers in 2022.
“Well, I’ve had different kinds of battles anyway, and every driver is different in battling as well,” added Verstappen.
“When you have to go to the limit and really fight for position it’s always very nice.”
