Hamilton: Mercedes were the hunted, now we are the hunter

Lewis Hamilton is relishing his newfound role of hunter after years of being hunted as he looks to lead Mercedes past Red Bull at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend. The German outfit are playing catchup for the time being with their Milton Keynes rival showing more pace in Bahrain. However in the end it mattered little to Hamilton, who used found a way to stay ahead of Max Verstappen in the closing laps to claim victory. "We were the hunted and now we are the hunter," Hamilton told Sky Sport Italia. "I think that's something I've always enjoyed doing since I was young. "I didn't have a good kart and I always had to chase and didn't leave as the favourite because others had better equipment than me, so I have experience in this role. I'm used to it, that's where I developed my qualities. Red Bull have the best package at the moment but that doesn't mean they have the best team. "We think we're the best team so we are facing this challenge together." Looking back at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton believes that while his experience helped him get the better of Verstappen, his ability ultimately made the difference. "I think he [Max] did a fantastic job," Hamilton told Sky Sport Italia. "I definitely think I was able to bank on my experience in order to do the job, but I think it also had to do with my ability. "The small bits made the difference."