'Long-term' Hamilton hoping to avoid clash with Verstappen

Lewis Hamilton says he'll do his best not to "connect" with arch-rival Max Verstappen on the track, insisting he'll continue to rely on a "long term" approach to his 2021 title ambitions.

Hamilton has defeated Verstappen three times this season in the four races that have taken place so far while the Red Bull driver prevailed at Imola.

But the intensity of the pair's on-track battles has put F1's two leaders on the verge of a few flash points. McLaren boss Zak Brown recently stated that it was only a matter of time before Hamilton and Verstappen come to blows.

However, Hamilton intends on keeping his distances as much as possible with the Red Bull charger without compromising his long-term title chances.

"I think I’ve done well to avoid all the incidents so far," said the Mercedes driver ahead of this weekend's fifth round of the 2021 world championship in the streets of Monaco.

"We’ve got 19 more to go and we could connect, hopefully not.

"The good thing, I think, there is a nice balanced amount of respect between us. I think perhaps, as you know, he feels perhaps he has a lot to prove. I’m not necessarily in the same boat there.”

"I’m more long term, kind of, ‘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."

• Read also: Wolff piles on the pressure: Red Bull 'the team to beat' in Monaco

Hamilton and Verstappen offered fans a thrilling showdown two years ago in Monte Carlo, and the seven-time world champion is expecting another massive confrontation with the Dutchman this weekend.

"Red Bull were incredibly close two years ago," he added. "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."

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