The fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton has been a close on so far in 2021, and Gerhard Berger sees no reason why the Dutchman can't come out on top at the end of the season. So far the two drivers have split the opening two races, with the Mercedes start coming out on top in Bahrain and Verstappen responding in Italy. The battle will resume this weekend in Portugal, with F1 returning to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for the second year in a row. When asked whether Verstappen can continue his fine form and ultimately come out on top in the fight for the title, Berger told the F1 Nation podcast he can see the Dutchman winning the war. "Why not? I think he is bloody good," Berger stated on the F1 Nation podcast. "Of course he doesn't have to experience of Lewis and Lewis showed him the way in Bahrain when he sent him out. "But he learned very quick and the first corner at Imola he just said 'Lewis, come and try to overtake me, you're gonna go off'. So I think he already has experience, he's still young, and what he doesn't have he learns very quickly. "So I think there is gonna be a strong fight." Regardless of who comes out on top in the end, Berger is pleased with what he's seen so far this season as Mercedes aren't running away with proceedings. "After having so many years with just one team dominating and knowing after the first corner that if Lewis was in front then probably nothing was gonna change," Berger added. "Durability is so good these days, but finally we are seeing a proper race. "I think we love to see such a competitive young guy like Max against the experienced guy in Lewis, and the story between Mercedes and Red Bull is heating up. I think that's what we are used, Williams against Ferrari and McLaren and so on. And even McLaren being quite competitive and seeing a qualifying where they were all inside of one or two tenths, that's what we've been looking for."
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