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Max Verstappen believes Mercedes need a little more fine-tuning before they can fight Red Bull again. The Dutchman feels it will be different to fight the Silver Arrows squad if they manage to be on par with his team or Ferrari by the end of the year.
Speaking to Servus TV about his 2021 rivals, the reigning champion said:
“Last year’s conflict was not necessarily between the drivers but more between the teams. We are, of course, not fighting with Mercedes at the moment. I think it will be different if we fight each other again. Maybe at the end of the season. We’ll see.”
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As for the conflict between Red Bull and Mercedes in the 2021 F1 championship, the Dutchman felt it was more of a team rivalry than between the two drivers. Max Verstappen feels it will be different if he gets the opportunity to battle Mercedes and their drivers this year. He also made it a point to appreciate his former rivals and claimed there was mutual respect between him and Lewis Hamilton.
On his rapport with Hamilton, Verstappen said:
“We all have a lot of respect for each other. If someone does well, you can of course just say that to each other.”
Max Verstappen feels Mercedes' performance needs more fine-tuning
Max Verstappen feels Mercedes' performance has been track-specific but has improved compared to the start of the 2022 F1 season. The Dutchman believes it will take a little more fine-tuning before they can be on par with Ferrari or Red Bull.
Commenting on Mercedes' performance, the Red Bull driver said:
“They are better than at the start of the year but they need just a little bit more. They are not bad over a single lap, but in the race on Sunday (Austrian Grand Prix) you saw we got away from them quickly. I think it also has to do with the different circuits. At Silverstone, they were very fast in the race. It’s the same with us and Ferrari. It’s about the details that can make the difference in the end.”
The current points difference between Red Bull and Mercedes in the constructors’ championship is 122 points. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is 80 points ahead of George Russell and 99 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' championship.
