Max Verstappen lays down new challenge for Red Bull with Lewis Hamilton jibe

Verstappen claimed his maiden F1 Drivers' championship title in 2021, dethroning Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen has laid down a challenge to Red Bull Racing while taking a slight dig at rival Lewis Hamilton's achievements. The Dutchman broke the Mercedes driver's stranglehold over the Drivers' championship by claiming his maiden title in contentious fashion at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows have won every Constructors' title in the "Hybrid Era" since 2014, and it was the first time in 2021 that they failed to claim the Drivers' crown. Red Bull and Verstappen were the deserving champions over the course of the campaign, and the Dutch racer admits that any further championship titles in the future is just a "bonus".

Verstappen also believes a driver needs luck on his side and a dominant team to be able to consistently challenge for the title "seven or eight" times. The Red Bull driver has never shied away from suggesting that "anyone can win" with a Mercedes, and he did again in his latest interview, but it could also be a challenge to his own team to maintain their momentum going into the new era of F1 in 2022.

"Everything that comes now is just a bonus and I am just going to enjoy it," Verstappen said during an interview with CarNext, as quoted on GP Fans.

Max Verstappen won an epic season-long battle with reigning champion Lewis Hamilton ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP

"You need a bit of luck to fight for seven or eight [titles]. You need a very dominant team as well to do that so you don't always have that luck or you are not in that era. Sometimes it doesn't happen.

"For me, I always wanted to win one and you will see where you go from there. Everything that comes now is a bonus but that doesn't mean that if I lose a race... I will still be upset, but maybe a few minutes after I will say 'it's ok'," he added.

Verstappen will be hoping to defend his title in 2022, while there are question marks over the future of Hamilton with the Briton still unhappy with the events that transpired at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The seven-time champion feels the result was manipulated to ensure he did not claim a record-breaking eighth world title.