Lewis Hamilton issues Max Verstappen threat at Mercedes launch - 'Wait to see this year'

Lewis Hamilton issued a stark warning to Max Verstappen and the rest of his rivals during a press conference on Friday. The Brit seems hungry to avenge last season's world title agony, and

has come out swinging in the wake of Mercedes' W13 unveiling. 

Verstappen pipped Hamilton to the world title in controversial circumstances last year, prevailing on the final lap of a dramatic decider in Abu Dhabi.

The Brit spoke after the chequered flag, but promptly withdrew from the public eye for almost two months. 

Many felt that retirement was on the cards after 15 seasons in F1, but since his return to social media earlier this month, it became apparent that he would be back fighting for the Silver

Arrows in 2022. 

After the W13 launch on Friday, the seven-time world champion said: "If you think what you saw at the end of the last year was my best, wait to see this year."

Indeed, Hamilton was commended for staging a comeback towards the end of last season, after Verstappen had opened up a healthy lead in the Drivers' Championship. 

The Stevenage-born sensation won three of the final four races, including a daring fightback in Brazil, before the Red Bull man won the decisive contest at Yas Marina. 

The battle was evidently draining on both drivers, in light of Hamilton's social media hiatus and claims made by Red Bull chief Helmut Marko that the contest had taken its toll on

Verstappen. 

But the mind games may have already begun from the Brit, claiming that he could pose an even sterner test this season after pushing the 24-year-old to the wire last time out. 

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The fighting talk has not only come from Silver Arrows drivers, with Mercedes' social media account also keeping a close eye on their competitors as the roll-out of new cars continues.

Witty responses were pointed at both Red Bull and Ferrari after their recent launches of RB18 and F1-75 respectively. 

Hamilton and the Mercedes camp are clearly full of confidence, despite sweeping regulation changes which threaten to shuffle the balance of power on the grid, and they could have a joker up

their sleeve if George Russell hits the ground running after his step up from Williams. 

The youngster has stressed the importance of development as teams embark on a new era of F1 cars.

At the launch, Russell said: "Obviously, Lewis and I have driven so many laps in the simulator of this.

"We’ve seen all the drawings, we’ve had so many meetings and presentations about it, but suddenly seeing it all come together, seeing all of the men and women who have put so much hard work

and grit into making this, and coming together here, I think it looks incredible.

"And I think the silver [coming] back, we’ve had an incredible livery with the black in the past couple of years – but the silver back on track I think is going to look incredible."

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