Rivals revving up to overtake Hamilton

Credibility, durability

Three years on from Liberty Media's takeover, F1 is at the threshold of an exhausting examination of its credibility, durability and, in some quarters, relevance as the world around it swirls with influential events. However, there is still evidence of its rude health in the queue to host races, huge budgets and extended number of races.

Hamilton and Mercedes' hegemony is under threat from not only Ferrari's old-and-new pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc, but also the unquestionable brilliance of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who holds the records as youngest driver, at 17, and winner, at 18.

Now 22, he aims to take Vettel's record as youngest champion.

Verstappen, though, is shrugging aside talk of records to instead focus on unsettling Hamilton.

"He is good, very good and one of the best, but he is not God," the Dutchman said of his British rival in February.

The champion replied, suggesting such saber-rattling was "a sign of weakness".

For Verstappen, it was a satisfying result. His darts had stung, he claimed.

"I think the only competition he's had over the years, really, has been his teammate," he said.

"In general, over a season, the car has been too dominant for anyone to be able to do something against it. That's why I think so far we have not been able to stress-test him. It's been a little too comfortable.

"I'm very fired up to give it a go and I think he knows that. The whole team is fired up and we want to give them (Mercedes) a hard time. If you don't have that fire within yourself, you'd better stay home."