Verstappen: Ricciardo crash and others prove F1 drivers respect me

Max Verstappen says the "harder" nature of his on-track battles with a host of rivals is a sign of respect towards him, rather than something to be discouraged. The Red Bull star has tangled with Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo amid an error-prone start to the 2018 campaign.

Incidents involving Hamilton in Bahrain and Ricciardo last time out at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix resulted in Verstappen retirements, while his clumsy attempt to overtake Vettel in Shanghai cost both drivers dearly, likely denying the Dutchman a first podium of 2018.

Verstappen will once again be under scrutiny at this week's Spanish Grand Prix - an event in which he crashed out of last year after first-lap contact with Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas.

While Verstappen is known for his fierce style, it also seems to bring a tenacity out of his opponents, Ricciardo's attempted overtake in Baku is perhaps a case in point.

"I can see that they can be a bit harder towards me," Verstappen said of his numerous battles since joining F1. "It's not necessarily a problem.

"It's actually a good thing if people do that to you. I mean everything went with respect."

Verstappen has routinely vowed not to alter his driving style, despite his struggles so far this season leaving him 52 points off the pace of championship leader Hamilton after only four races.

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And he says that any alterations will only be made after consultation with a close group of advisors, his father, former F1 racer Jos, chief among them.

"I speak to many people but of course my dad is the main person," he said. "I've spoken a lot with Helmut [Marko] as well, because he understands racing very well.

"Of course I have to look at myself. At the end of the day, I could speak to a lot of people, but it has to come from me so I have to understand myself."