Newly crowned Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton believes he will have to improve further as a driver to counter the growing threat from Max Verstappen in the coming seasons.
As the Briton was making his way back through the pack to an eventual ninth-place finish that would earn him his fourth title, the 20-year-old was cruising to his third F1 win having bullied his way past Sebastian Vettel at the start in Mexico.
Verstappen’s victory was also his second in four races, having passed Hamilton before going on to take the chequered flag in Malaysia, and with Red Bull continuing to close the performance, the 32-year-old admits the Dutchman is perhaps even more of a threat than Vettel in the seasons to come.
“I want to be better next year,” he was quoted by Autosport. “The challenge is going to be even bigger from Ferrari and Red Bull next year.
“Formula 1 doesn’t sleep. It doesn’t stand still. There is always someone there waiting to take my position and I’ve got Max sitting there waiting to take it.
“I’ve got to raise the game another level in order to stay ahead of him and that motivates me. There’s my motivation already for next year.”
Not only is Hamilton motivated, he is also incredibly excited at the potential Verstappen has and at the prospect of a three-way battle including Vettel for the championship as he revealed the rush he got from the run to the first corner in Mexico.
“Max is an exceptional driver,” Hamilton said. “He drove fantastically and to see his racecraft at the start of the race was awesome. I was looking forward to having a battle with him and it is great to see Red Bull up there again.
“I hope they have a better engine next year and they are more in the fight, I think it would be great for the sport. You have a potential world champion in Max and he is only going to get stronger with age because he is a lot of raw talent.
“He has a long way to go but these wins are only adding to his great potential and I am looking forward to battling with that.
“Going down that straight three-abreast with two of the greatest drivers I have come across was…oh my God. I was so excited for the race.”
Another big name Hamilton wants back in the title picture is former teammate Fernando Alonso, who is hoping a change to Renault engines for McLaren in 2018 can catapult them the front in 2018 and enjoyed an intense battle in the closing laps at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
“Just wait until this guy (Alonso) gets a good engine,” Hamilton told Reuters on Sunday, “I really hope for McLaren, which has a special place in my heart, that next year is a better year for them.
“I hope they have a stronger engine and a stronger car. Fernando’s a tough cookie and I enjoyed the little battle that I had with him and I hope that we get to have many more like that,”
