Max Verstappen disputes Lewis Hamilton 's claim that this year's Red Bull is quicker than any of his title-winning Mercedes cars.
Reigning champion Verstappen is well on course for his third successive world crown after victories in two of the first three races in Bahrain and Australia.
The Dutchman appears unstoppable in his new RB19 design which is already being described as a masterpiece.
Only Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez - who won in Saudi Arabia - is expected to have a chance of spoiling the 25-year-old's bid for glory in 2023.
Red Bull's searing pace has made the Constructors Championship a one-horse race this season and Hamilton has a huge task on his hands to claim just a solitary victory in his uncompetitive Mercedes.
The seven-time world champion ignited a debate last month in Jeddah when he asserted that Verstappen was driving the fastest car he has ever seen on the grid.
Mercedes won seven drivers titles in a row - with Hamilton winning six - in a remarkable period of dominance between 2014 and 2020.
But the legendary Brit is convinced Red Bull's challenger for 2023 is even more dominant than when the Silver Arrows were at peak performance.
"I don’t know, it’s not for me to say, but I’ve never seen a car so fast," Hamilton claimed. "When we were fast, we weren’t that fast. That’s the fastest car I’ve seen compared to the rest."
Verstappen, however, refutes Hamilton's verdict as he believes the numbers prove the veteran driver is categorically wrong.
"I think if you look at the statistics, then those statements are not correct," he told RacingNews365 NL, responding to Hamilton's claim.
"But we also do have a very good car. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Still, we are not as dominant as Mercedes has shown some years.
"I don’t pay much attention to that, that doesn’t get you anywhere. Whatever we have done in the eight years that Mercedes is so dominant, we also tried to close the gap. That’s the only thing you can do."
