Clash of the titans: Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen

After years at the top, the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has a younger, faster rival to contend with. And as they face off this weekend, their intense competition is revving up, says Matt Majendie

-  Matt Majendie

WHEN Formula 1 agreed to let the cameras roll for the excellent Netflix series Drive to Survive, the thinking was to widen the reach of the sport and take it to a new audience. The first three series followed a set course; as Lewis Hamilton comfortably racked up the titles. For the upcoming fourth series, though, things could barely have been better scripted. The team behind the series and Liberty Media, who bought F1 in 2017, have finally landed a rivalry for the ages, and trying to predict its outcome is nigh-on impossible.

It pits Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion with 101 grand prix victories and one of the sport’s elder statesmen at 36, against rising star Max Verstappen. F1 has long been defined by its changing of the guard. There was Michael Schumacher taking over from Ayrton Senna, and then Fernando Alonso doing the same to Schumacher.

The next three races could yet prove a similarly seminal moment for Verstappen. Until this year, Verstappen, 24, has never quite had a car at Red Bull quick enough to match Hamilton beyond the occasional race. With three grand prix left — Qatar on Sunday followed by Saudi Arabia and then Abu Dhabi — the Dutchman stands 14 points clear in the title race with 78 still on offer.

All season, the title lead has ebbed and flowed, the last race in Brazil perhaps the most pertinent example. Hamilton was disqualified from qualifying for the Saturday sprint race after the rear wing of his car was deemed to be 0.2 millimetres outside the legal measurements.