Lewis Hamilton heaps praise on ‘confident’ Max Verstappen: “I wouldn’t question his determination”

Lewis Hamilton believes two-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen will be an even stronger opponent in the 2023 Formula 1 season.

Verstappen ensured Red Bull Racing had the perfect start to the new season in Bahrain, cruising to victory with teammate Sergio Perez finishing second.

Mercedes, on the other hand, looked like they did not fully overcome their troubles from last year as they could only manage fifth (Hamilton) and seventh (George Russell) at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Hamilton, who hopes to prevent Verstappen from winning a hat-trick of F1 titles and add to his seven crowns, is not expecting the Dutchman to go easy despite winning the World Drivers' Championship in the last two years.

The Briton said (via Racefans):

“I think he will be very, very confident. I think they developed an amazing car last year, they blew away all the records on pretty much everything and I don’t even think they were pushing at the end and still were way ahead.”

He added:

“I don’t think he’ll slip up. He’s a world champion and so I wouldn’t question his determination or his focus. I think he will be just as focussed as ever, and it’s our job to catch up.”

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Lewis Hamilton calls out Mercedes for not ‘owning up’ to their mistakes

Lewis Hamilton expressed his frustration after the 2023 Bahrain GP by stating that Mercedes "didn't listen" to his concerns about the team's new W14 car.

The new season saw Mercedes rank as the fourth-fastest car on the grid, behind Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. After having major performance issues in 2022, the off-season tweaks have not significantly improved the car's performance, with the W14 still lacking downforce and mechanical grip.

After a difficult weekend in the Middle East, Hamilton has called for "accountability" and a team effort to solve their problems. He said:

"Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car, like, I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need."

Lewis Hamilton added:

"And I think it’s really about accountability, it’s about owning up and saying ‘yeah, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work.'"