Berger expects Verstappen to be "a real burden" to Hamilton's 2020 F1 title hopes

F1 News

4 March 2020 at 16:30

Former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger believes Max Verstappen can be a "real burden" to Lewis Hamilton's seventh world championship title hopes in 2020. The Dutchman has been significantly improving over recent seasons and Berger expects a real challenge from the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team this year. 

Mercedes will be doing all they can to help Hamilton match Michael Schumacher's seven world titles while those in the garages nearby will be attempted to block another Mercedes win. 

Marko

Helmut Marko, Red Bull advisor, is extremely keen on making Verstappen the youngest world champion ever. 2020 gives Verstappen one last chance of taking that title away from Sebastian Vettel. Marko is keen on giving Hamilton a challenge in 2020. 

"No matter how stupid it sounds, in recent years he (Hamilton) has been more or less without competition. Hamilton is a natural talent, he is very quick and routine. He knows how to win a championship. With Honda, we have almost the same engine performance for the first time. But Ferrari can never be written off, because they are always fast," Marko tells Krone.at. 

Berger

Berger sees Verstappen as a favourite for the title. “With regard to talent, I have full confidence in Max. Lewis is a benchmark that is difficult to crack, but with the right engine and car, Max can be a real burden."