F1 news LIVE: Lewis Hamilton labels Max Verstappen ‘ruthless’ ahead of first race of 2022 season

LIVE – Updated at 08:01

It’s race week as Formula 1 returns with the Bahrain Grand Prix kicking off the 2022 season.

It promises to be one of the most exciting years in the sport to date after Max Verstappen’s thrilling win over Lewis Hamilton last year in Abu Dhabi to clinch his maiden world crown. The war of words between Christian Horner and Toto Wolff continues, with Red Bull and Mercedes likely to have company at the top of the grid after the new rules and regulations.

Ferrari impressed during testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, with the exciting prospect of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz able to challenge Hamilton, Verstappen, George Russell and Sergio Perez week to week. The problems for McLaren mean Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, who was ill all last week in Bahrain, may have to wait a little longer to move up into contention. Follow all the live news this week and build-up to the season opener below:

“There’s so many nice comments,” Hamilton told Sky Sports. “And then trolling and all these different things.

“If I had sat and read all the comments after Silverstone, the racial abuse. I could’ve downward spiralled into a negative space. I don’t let that volatile medium control my life.

“You have to be careful because the way the media hype up the drama creates a narrative to the fans.”

“For me and Max, we’re seeing each other in the paddock, things are normal,” Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports.

“We are two individual drivers who have a lot of common in the sense of how much we love doing what we do, driving.

“On the other side, we’re ruthless. He is ruthless, that’s how you have to be, I would imagine in business but hopefully with a bit of compassion.

“But we are fighters out there, there’s no friends on