He doesn't know me: Max

SOCHI • Max Verstappen offered a sarcastic response after seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton suggested his Red Bull rival was feeling the pressure of a first title tilt ahead of tomorrow's Russian Grand Prix.

"I'm so nervous I can barely sleep," the Dutchman said. "It's so horrible to fight for a title. I really hate it."

The 23-year-old then insisted those who knew him could testify how relaxed he was.

"I'm very chilled. It's the best feeling ever to have a great car where you go into every weekend and you can fight for a win... those comments just show you that he really doesn't know me," he said of his Mercedes rival.

"Which is fine. I also don't need to know him, how he is fully. I just focus on myself, and I really enjoy it out there in front and hopefully we can do that for a long time."

Verstappen is five points clear of Hamilton (221.5) after 14 of 22 rounds. But he will also start from the back of the grid on Sunday as penalty for an engine change.

Red Bull elected to fit a new power unit to the Dutchman's car as he was already carrying a three-place grid penalty after a collision with Hamilton at the Italian GP that put both drivers out of the race.

It was the second direct crash involving the pair and that fierce competitiveness has become the story of the season, as Verstappen and Red Bull seek to end seven years of Mercedes domination and dethrone the joint-most successful driver of all time alongside Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton had earlier claimed Verstappen was going through the very same nerves he felt when he won his first championship in 2008 at the age of 23.

"Obviously, he won't admit to it and I'm not going to make an assumption," the Briton added.

"I'm just saying that I remember what it was like when I had my first one and it definitely mounted up.

"It was difficult, it was intense, I was going through a lot of different emotions and I didn't always handle it the best.

"That's to be expected... there's a lot of self-expectation and pressure because the desire to win is huge. I empathise and understand that."

He also confirmed there were no lingering effects from Monza - where Verstappen's car ended up on top of his Mercedes with a rear wheel hitting the Briton's helmet.

Earlier in the week, Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko felt Hamilton was milking the incident and was faking injury, leading the 36-year-old to issue an angry response to explain that he "didn't say I was dying".

"I don't really listen to what these individuals talk about. It's natural when a car lands on your head that you're going to have some sort of discomfort," he said.

"Just aware that in a millisecond anything can happen. I did feel grateful to come out of it not badly injured and move on.

"What's important is that we just continue to race hard and fair. I have no doubt we will both be professional and learn from the past."

Mercedes have won every race at Sochi since the first in 2014.

REUTERS

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