Hamilton: 'There was no point defending against Verstappen'

After seven years of absolute dominance, Mercedes received some challenge for the first time in 2021 in the form of Max Verstappen. Red Bull managed to halt Mercedes' unbroken run of victories by capturing the drivers' title, although Mercedes still took victory in the constructors. Since then, Red Bull has firmly held the reigns on the track, with Mercedes always sitting near the edge of the podium.

'It's probably the fastest car I've ever seen'

At the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, the new balance of power was proved once again. Sergio Perez raced unchallenged in the lead, and Max Verstappen stormed through the field from 15th place to eventually finish second. During his advance, the Dutchman ran into his former rival Hamilton on the track, but it was by no means an exciting duel. Hamilton was outsmarted quickly enough for Verstappen to focus on the next car.

"I’ve definitely never seen a car so fast," Hamilton responded after the race. "When we were fast, we weren’t that fast. That’s the fastest car, I think, I’ve seen, especially compared to the rest. I don’t know how or why, but he came past me with serious speed. I didn’t even bother to block because there was a massive speed difference."