Lewis Hamilton believes Max Verstappen and Red Bull will remain a formidable opposition to overcome in F1 next season.
The British driver feels beating the 27-year-old in the drivers' championship will be a considerable challenge because Red Bull "probably started earlier" with the development of its 2025 car, presumably called the RB21.
The Milton Keynes team looks highly unlikely to defend its constructors' championship this term, with Sergio Perez unable to provide adequate support to newly-crowned Verstappen. With two rounds to go, it trails McLaren by 53 points with Ferrari in between.
Despite the difficulties Red Bull has endured through the current campaign, the Mercedes driver is fearful that starting the season in dominant form allowed the reigning champions to turn to its 2025 plans earlier than others.
To Hamilton, Verstappen being afforded another head start could be central to a fourth-consecutive drivers' title defence in his first year at Ferrari - even though overall winter development is anticipated to be reduced, with all teams expected to have one eye on the 2026 regulations change.
"I think they [Verstappen and Red Bull] will be hard to beat next year because they [Red Bull] probably started earlier than everyone else developing next year's car," the 39-year-old told media including RacingNews365 after Verstappen wrapped up the 2024 F1 drivers' championship.
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With a fourth-successive F1 drivers' title, the Dutchman has elevated himself into the pantheon of the greats, joining Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton as one of only five drivers to ever win four consecutively.
Whilst there is no concrete evidence to support Hamilton's claims, if Verstappen can repeat next year, he will match Schumacher's feat from 2000-04, whilst also surpassing the Mercedes driver's run from 2017-20 in the process.
Nevertheless, the seven-time F1 drivers' champion was effusive in his praise for his 2021 title rival.
"Yeah, really happy for him," he replied when asked to share a few words on Verstappen's achievement. "He's done a fantastic job.
"He's not made any mistakes and he's delivered every time and every point he's supposed to.
"And him and his team have done the best job, again, fourth year in a row. And it definitely got exciting at one point."
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Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they dissect the Las Vegas GP and look ahead to Qatar! Max Verstappen's title success was a main talking point, as was the mounting pressure on McLaren in the F1 constructors' title fight.
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