Lewis Hamilton has suggested that this year's world championship battle with Max Verstappen is perhaps not the hardest he has ever had in his career.

Hamilton has been a regular challenger for Formula 1 world titles ever since his arrival in the sport in 2007 and a number of his seven championships to date have been hard-fought for - particularly in 2008 and against Nico Rosberg in the early years of the turbo-hybrid era.

In more recent seasons, he's perhaps had things a little more his own way but this year he's been back up against it with Max Verstappen looking for his maiden crown, and it's made for a really enthralling season.

Hamilton was asked, then, whether he felt as though this year was the hardest battle he'd had for a championship win but he suggested that this season doesn't particularly stand out compared to others he's had both in F1 and other junior formula:

“No, I wouldn’t say so," he told Sky.

“I was just thinking earlier on today about all the championships I’ve fought in since I was 10.

“And there have been so many difficult moments and they are all very similar in their own way, but all unique in their own way at the same time.”

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Be that as it may, it'll be a huge achievement for Lewis if he can win this year's championship not only because of what a season it has been but also because it'll make him the first man to ever win 8 titles in the sport - he has five races to see if he can do it.