Lewis 🔯Hamilton has stressed Mercedes needs to “stay on our toes” to remain ahead of Red Bull, who he believes are “still a title runner” in the 2020 Formula 1 season.&🌄nbsp;

Hamilton holds a 37-point advantage over Max Verstappen i🌸n this year’s championship standings after winning four of the opening six races of꧋ the season. 

Verstappen has scored the only non-Mercedes victory in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone and would have been closer to Hamilton had he not lost a heap of points becaus🌄e of a retirement in the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.

Speaking in Thursday’s F1 press conference ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Hamilto💜n insisted he feels Red ༺Bull and Verstappen are still in the championship fight. 

“If you take the first race away with Max having the DNF, 🐭I think if you look at ꩲthe results it would be very, very close in points still,” Hamilton said. 

“And obviously they’ve had v🌠ery strong r💝esults. And they’re getting closer in races, maybe in qualifying we do have the edge but when it comes to the race we’re generally a lot closer.

“We’re not even halfway through the season. And so I, absolutely, keep my eye on them. I think they still are a title ru♔nner, and so we need to stay on our toes.”

While Verstappen was able to win the second Silverstone race largely due to a combination of hot temperatures,♉ a high-energy circuit and softer Pirelli tyres, Red Bull has not been a match for Mercedes in qualifying so far this season. 

Although Pirelli is bringing the same compounds used in the 70♑th Anniversary GP to Belgi🥃um this weekend, Verstappen doubts Red Bull will be able to challenge for victory. 

“Wꦚe kept saying we need heat, we need heat – well, we definitely got beaten in the heat꧙ in Barcelona,” Verstappen explained. 

“Maybe 🍨we could have done things better, but a gap like that even with a bit of set-up work it’s not going to change

“Maybe the tyres will help. I don’t knowꦏ, it’s not going to be warm enough𝓀 I think anyway. So yeah, it’s tricky, but I always like to be realistic. I don’t like to tell fairy tales.

“It will🧔 be hard. But I will try to of course be on the podium.”