Lewis Hamilton says he is ‘super excited’ by the prospect of more on-track battles against Max Verstappen in 2021 after he came out on top scrap for the lead in last weekend’s thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver had been second best all weekend long at the Bahrain International Circuit as Verstappen and Red Bull Racing showed improved pace and performance that gave the Dutchman his fourth career pole position.
Verstappen led in the early laps but fell behind the seven-time World Champion during the pit stop cycle, and despite attacking the Briton, could not find a way to reclaim the lead before the chequered flag.
Hamilton admits that Red Bull’s pace could see them move further ahead of Mercedes in upcoming races, but he knows Mercedes are going to be working overtime to ensure they give the Briton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas every chance to fight for victories.
“I’m super excited and super happy for the fans, that they are excited,” Hamilton is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com following the Bahrain Grand Prix. “I think it’s something that all the fans have wanted for a long time.
“Of course, this is only one race, so we don’t know what the future holds in terms of [how the season will unfold]. With the pace they have, they could be ahead a lot more, but we’re going to work as hard as we can to try and stay close in this battle.
“I hope for many more of these sorts of races with Max and Valtteri. There’s a long way to go. 22 [races] – holy crap! I’ll be grey by the end of this!”
