Lewis Hamilton sends early warning to Max Verstappen ahead of new F1 season

Lewis Hamilton has warned Max Verstappen and the rest of the Formula 1 field that he will be more aggressive this season in his driving style, as the Bahrain Grand Prix arrives this weekend.

The new season is here with the teams and drivers all in Sakhir and it certainly looks set up to be a really exciting campaign.

Max and Lewis will both be eager to renew their rivalry from 2021, whilst the likes of George Russell, Sergio Perez and the Ferrari and McLaren boys will want a slice of the front-running action.

Lewis and Max, though, were very much in a league of their own last season and that produced an enthralling rivalry, which threw up a number of flashpoints along the way.

Indeed, at times questions were asked over driving standards with Verstappen proving particularly aggressive at times behind the wheel, and Hamilton was asked about that and whether he might change his own approach for the new campaign.

And, quoted by Autosport, it sounds as though Lewis is ready to be more uncompromising than ever this season.

“I will be a more aggressive driver this year. You’ll see.”

Verstappen had earlier been asked whether he expected a more aggressive approach himself from Lewis, to which he said:

“I don’t know. I guess you shouldn’t ask me that question.”

Clearly, then, the battle lines are starting to be drawn ahead of the Bahrain GP, and if the two drivers are going to yield even less than last year, we could have fireworks.

Other drivers, as mentioned, will want in on the action, though, and that is what could make this season so exciting.