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Max Verstappen believes Lewis Hamilton is not the driver to beat in the 2022 season. The reigning champion spoke to Sky Germany and revealed that Ferrari looks like a stronger contender for the upcoming season.
On being asked if Hamilton was the driver to beat in 2022, the Dutchman said:
“I don’t think so. Ferrari also looks strong this year, at least now in the tests. It is difficult to judge the others. Some teams still get some upgrades before the first race.”
On Day 1 of testing in Bahrain, the Red Bull champion had the day off as team-mate Sergio Perez took over the driving duties.
On being asked whether the 2022 season could feature a three-team fight between Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari, Max Verstappen said:
“It’s difficult to say. So far Ferrari looks strong. Mercedes will always be there. For us it looks positive.”
The Dutchman indicated that Ferrari looked competitive and that Mercedes would be in the mix at the front. When it came to his own team, however, the Red Bull driver was optimistic about the year ahead.
Max Verstappen not concerned about Mercedes' new design concept
Mercedes' no-sidepod car became a hot topic on the first day of the pre-season test. Max Verstappen, however, seems unfazed by his rival team’s new car concept. The defending world champion felt that, although it looked different, there were too many unknown variables involved when it came to performance.
Speaking to Sky Sports UK about the new design on Mercedes’ W13, the Dutchman commented:
“I’m not concerned. We can only focus on ourselves, I said this so many times last year and that’s what we’ve got to do again this year. Even if the car looks different, there are so many unknown things still that we need to learn about. So I’m not worried at all.”
The Red Bull champion preferred to concentrate on his own team’s progress and was unconcerned about their Silver Arrows rival. Despite the extreme design, the Brackley-based squad were unable to manage their porpoising problems in Bahrain.
