Red Bull's Verstappen says he can dethrone Hamilton

Red Bull's Max Verstappen says he can beat Lewis Hamilton to the Formula One title if his car is good enough, insisting Britain's six-time world champion is "not God".

The 22-year-old Dutchman could prove Hamilton's closest challenger this year, following Red Bull's strong finish to the end of last season.

Hamilton, 35, has dominated F1 in recent years, winning five of the past six championships, and will this year equal Michael Schumacher's record haul of seven titles if he secures another triumph.

But asked if he could beat Hamilton over the course of a season, Verstappen said:
"If we start the season within two-tenths (of a second of Mercedes), we can mount the pressure. I am looking forward to when we get that fight and if we are really close I am pretty sure we can do better."