Lewis Hamilton admitted it is "natural" that he and Max Verstappen will have some fierce on-track fights.
The two Formula 1 champions fought tooth and nail in a blockbuster battle for the title last season, which ended with the Dutchman winning in controversial circumstances. There were several flashpoints during that rivalry last year, including collisions at Silverstone, Monza and in Saudi Arabia.
Verstappen has again been the man to beat in F1 this season, though Hamilton has not been involved in this title battle. Nevertheless, especially in the last few races as Mercedes have improved their car, there have still been some feisty moments between them.
The most recent and notable was last time out in Brazil, when they made contact during the race. Verstappen was slapped with a five-second time penalty as the race stewards judged him the be "predominantly at fault" for the collision.
Hamilton believes Verstappen is more aggressive when competing against him compared to other racers. Asked by reporters if he expects more controversy between them in the future, he replied: "Most likely. I think I'll adapt.
"You've seen in previous years that I try to avoid [contact] in scenarios. I'm sure we'll grow, both sides will grow and improve hopefully so we don't have experiences like we did in the last race, but I wouldn't hold your breath."
As a seven-time world champion, Hamilton is a target for other drivers. After all, being able to claim that you beat F1's most prolific race-winner is something to feel very proud about.
Asked if he feels his success has contributed to Verstappen's aggressiveness when battling against him, Hamilton smiled before he added: "I think yeah, you're probably right.
"I remember when I first got to the sport and your target is the guy that has the most championships. It was Fernando [Alonso], then it was Kimi [Raikkonen], because Kimi was one of the best drivers here, and then it was Seb [Vettel], so I think it's natural."
