Lewis Hamilton says he will continue to learn and create the space that's needed when racing Max Verstappen, as he doesn't believe the Red Bull driver will change his approach despite being handed a grid penalty following their latest clash. The two championship rivals came together last time out at the Italian Grand Prix, with Verstappen's car landing on top of Hamilton's Mercedes. The incident means Verstappen will serve a three-place grid drop at this weekend's Russian Grand Prix, with both drivers showing no intention of backing down from the other . While the stewards felt Verstappen was predominately to blame for the clash at Monza, Hamilton doesn't think the punishment will discourage the Dutchman from racing hard. "Unlikely. Unlikely!" Hamilton laughed in an interview with Sky Sports, when asked if he expects Verstappen's penalty to act as a deterrent. "I think the stewards always have a tough job to do. There's always gonna be one party that's unhappy with their decisions, and always one that's OK with it. "I think they did their job, and we have to respect their job. That's all I can say." Asked if he has trust that Verstappen will take the action he needs to, to avoid a collision in similar circumstances in the future, Hamilton said: "He's never done it in the past, so I don't expect it to happen. "I think that's probably the way I will approach things, in not expecting it, and [I'll] just try to create the space that's needed. "I'm sure he will, and we will, continue to learn." Hamilton added: "I was saying [in the press conference] that I know what it's like when you're fighting for your first championship . There's a lot going on, and there's a lot riding on it. "We will continue to be professional, hopefully, moving forward, and race fair."
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