Hamilton prefers fight with Verstappen than internal team duel

The battle this year is between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen who both drive for a different team and that makes for a great fight. Hamilton's most recent serious title fight was with Nico Rosberg in 2016, who retired after taking the championship. Hamilton also battled another direct teammate years back and that was Fernando Alonso.

Much more fun

Now that he has to compete against Verstappen, he expresses that it is much more fun because Formula 1 is a confusing sport in itself. In a new video from F1.com the seven times world champion says: "It’s much more enjoyable. When you’re having an internal battle, because this sport is different to other sports."

"If you’re looking at football," Hamilton continued, "everyone is looking towards the same goal. This sport is a kind of confused because you have two championships: the team championship which two drivers are hired. To score points for the team to win the championship. That’s the priority. And then individually then you have the two drivers that selfishly want to win the championship."

Hamilton: "So you got this battle of tension and when you’re working against the guy opposite you, it’s much different working with that person and fighting another team. And that is what I think makes better racing. That makes the championship more exciting when it’s team against team rather then internal." In short, Hamilton prefers a fight with Red Bull Racing to a direct fight with a teammate.