F1 News: Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen Exchange Fiery Comments Ahead Of Next Duel

Heading into the next race, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have just made their rivalry even more interesting.

For the fifth time this season, Mercedes-AMG Petronas and Red Bull Racing are once again expected to engage in another close fight.

The two Formula One teams have led the first four races--with Hamilton ahead of Verstappen, 3-1.

Spicing things up ahead of the Monaco GP, the seven-time world champion made a shocking claim about his fiercest rival.

According to Hamilton, unlike Verstappen, he doesn’t have “a lot to prove” and he’s not after being the fastest driver in every race. Instead, he is eyeing something that is “long-term.”

“I think I've done well to avoid all the incidents so far, but we've got 19 more [races] to go and we could connect,” Hamilton told reporters in a recent media conference, including Formula One’s official website. “I think perhaps [Verstappen] feels he has a lot to prove. I’m not necessarily in the same boat there and I'm more long-term, 'it's a marathon not a sprint' sort of mentality, which is ultimately why I have the stats that I have.”

Responding to Hamilton’s comments, Verstappen later pointed out that they both give it all they got but insisted that he has “nothing to prove.”

“I have nothing to prove. And avoiding contact, I think it goes both ways," he said. "So we have done well, that's true. But we race hard, we've avoided contact both sides, so let's hope we can keep doing that and keep being on track and racing hard against each other.”

After his sensational victory in Spain, Hamilton is now leading by 14 points in the current drivers' standings. Verstappen, on the other hand, vows to keep the fight as “close” as possible.

"It’s close," the 11-time Formula One winner told GPFans.com of his rivalry with Hamilton this season. "I wish it was closer! It’s a long season and we can’t afford to have any retirement or silly mistakes so we just have to keep on doing what we’re doing.”

"I think it [the close battle] is what everyone wants to see but, of course, what I want as well,” he added. "The last few years we have not been close enough so it’s a good start to the season, that’s for sure and I hope it can be like this for the rest of the season because it keeps everyone excited."