Four-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton believes he will need to make further improvements for 2018 in order to stay ahead of Max Verstappen.
Hamilton sealed his fourth F1 world championship with a recovery drive to ninth place after clashing with title rival Sebastian Vettel on the first lap, while Max Verstappen dominated to claim his third victory in the sport. Hamilton, who has taken nine race wins so far this season, reckons Verstappen will emerge as his biggest threat in the coming years, and admitted the prospect of future battles with the Red Bull driver is motivating him to raise his game.
"I want to be better next year," Hamilton said. "The challenge is going to be even bigger from Ferrari and Red Bull next year. Formula One doesn't sleep. It doesn't stand still. There is always someone there waiting to take my position.
"I've got Max sitting there waiting to take it. I've got to raise the game another level in order to stay ahead of him and that motivates me. There's my motivation already for next year."
The Briton, who said he is determined to stop Verstappen from scoring too many wins after their duel in the latter stages of last month's Japanese Grand Prix, pointed to his three-way tussle with Verstappen and Vettel at the start in Mexico as a sign of things to come in 2018.
"Max is an exceptional driver. He drove fantastically and to see his racecraft at the start of the race was awesome. I was looking forward to having a battle with him and it is great to see Red Bull up there again.
"I hope they have a better engine next year and they are more in the fight. I think it would be great for the sport. You have a potential world champion in Max and he is only going to get stronger with age because he has a lot of raw talent.
"He has a long way to go but these wins are only adding to his great potential and I am looking forward to battling with that. Going down that straight three-abreast with two of the greatest drivers I have come across was...'oh my God'. I was so excited for the race."