Hamilton 'mind games' prove Verstappen is "getting under his skin" - Horner

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes Lewis Hamilton's recent foray into mind games with Max Verstappen proves the Dutchman is getting 'under the skin' of the seven-time F1 champion.

Just 14 points separate Verstappen from the Mercedes driver after four races in which they have gone wheel-to-wheel, with Hamilton winning on three occasions to the one for the Red Bull driver.

Hamilton suggested ahead of Monaco Grand Prix practice that Verstappen "has a lot to prove" after narrowly avoiding contact in Spain last time out, which Horner thinks is a sign of Verstappen getting to the Briton.

"Lewis loves all of that rubbish so just let him get on with it," he told Sky Sports F1.

"Max does his own thing, he is his own man. The fact that Lewis feels he needs to do that means Max is probably getting under his skin a little.

"It is great, it is part of the sport, we are only at the beginning of the championship, we are not even anywhere near halfway yet. Can you imagine what it will be like if they are that close for the last few races?"

Toto Wolff has added to the off-track battle with focus turning to the flexing rear wing on the Red Bull which has come under scrutiny since the Spanish GP, with stricter testing being brought in by the FIA from France onwards.

In Monaco, Wolff hinted at Mercedes switching to 90 per cent focus for the 2022 car, to which Horner responded: "I think Toto is more focused on our rear wing than he is on next year to be honest.

"I can't gauge what is going on in their business and Toto knows what is going on in everybody's business.

"I would be surprised because the rate of development is still quite intense. We will see, we have only done four races."

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