Insisting that there is a "healthy respect" between them, Lewis Hamilton hopes to prove the sceptics wrong by avoiding a clash with title rival Max Verstappen.

While there was clear contact on the opening lap at Imola, thus far the fight between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen has been clean.

However, with an eye on what's at stake, not forgetting a certain Dutch racer's no-nonsense, elbows out reputation, some are predicting that at some point the championship battle will result in an on-track clash. Indeed, recently, Zak Brown, increasingly the font of all F1 knowledge, claimed it was only a matter of time.

Speaking as the Monaco weekend got underway - the Principality having witnessed more than its fair share of too close encounters over the years, Hamilton said he is adopting a long-term approach to his fight for the title.

"I think I've done well to avoid all the incidents so far," said the Mercedes driver, "but we've got 19 more to go and we could connect... hopefully not.

"I think the good thing is that I think there is a nice balance and amount of respect between us," he added.

"I think perhaps he feels he has a lot to prove," the Briton continued. "I'm not necessarily in the same boat... 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. So I'll continue with that and I'll do everything to make sure that we avoid connecting."

Like team boss, Toto Wolff, Hamilton insists that Red Bull head into the weekend as favourites.

"Red Bull were incredibly close two years ago," he said. "It's a much different car, we have different tyres. Red Bull are going to be very, very hard to beat this weekend.

"This is a track that has always been strong for them, and given how close the gap is between us, you can imagine this weekend they could be ahead. But we're going to do everything we can to make sure that's not the case."

Check out our Wednesday gallery from Monaco, here.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by SexyLadyRacer, 24/05/2021 14:45

"There is team strategy and then there's the driver's ability to execute the team's strategy!
Lewis Hamilton the GOAT has the ability to execute the strategy and passed Max absolutely cleanly, as he has done many times before just like in Hungary, and just like Michael Schumacher for Benetton and Ferrari when he was at his peak!

While Max Verstappen couldn't execute his team's strategy in Bahrain, and the fact is that Max can't normally execute overtaking nor defending maneuvers cleanly anyway! "

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2. Posted by kenji, 20/05/2021 8:05

"@ SLR....regarding your comments on the start of Imola...FYI that is what is called 'racing'. Now you might feel all warm and fuzzy from watching your idol waltz away with nothing but fresh air in front of him, negating the fact that he has to pass anyone, but some of us thoroughly enjoy a bit wheel to wheel rubbing and racing. Don't wish to upset your 'wa' but Hamilton won that race on team strategy."

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3. Posted by SexyLadyRacer, 20/05/2021 4:06

"Which drivers are likely to crash at the Monaco GP race weekend?
My predictions:

1. Max Verstappen - based on past performances, and now probably over-driving the Red Bull car due to the pressures of this season!

2. Nikita Mazepin
3. Nicholas Latifi
4. Yuki Tsunoda"

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4. Posted by SexyLadyRacer, 20/05/2021 3:54

"Lewis Hamilton has been winning motor racing championships from his young karting days and other categories up the ladder and into F1!
In his first season in F1, when Lewis narrowly missed out on winning the world title in his rookie year by just 1 point, Lewis learnt this valuable lesson - that winning the F1 championship is a marathon not a sprint!
I don't believe Max Verstappen knows this because I don't think he has won any motor racing championships!

Looking at the start of the Imola and other races, it's obvious that Max is quite prepared to crash on the first corner of the first lap to try and get ahead to win a race, but this is a bad and dangerous strategy because it could cause a crash and take either one or both drivers out of the race, on lap 1!
In Imola Max crashed into Lewis in turn 1 and didn't give Lewis any room, pushing him off the track and breaking parts off Lewis's front wing! Max Verstappen doesn't usually get penalised when other drivers might!
"

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5. Posted by kenji, 20/05/2021 1:40

"And that folks is how you phrase, 'we are having an each-way bet'. "

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"It's a marathon, not a sprint," says Hamilton

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