Croft thinks if Verstappen and Hamilton duel it out again for a world championship then the Red Bull driver might have to adjust his approach.

“I don’t think Max is a dirty driver,” he said. “I think, at one stage, he was, in the early part of his career, overly aggressive at times,” he said. But I think he’s finessed that a little bit now.

“What I do think is, the day we get Lewis and Max racing wheel to wheel again and – let’s face it, that was one hell of a season – when we get that, Max might just change his driving style just a little bit more, because he knows how good Lewis is.”

Croft is hopeful Mercedes can get their act together and give Hamilton a car capable of challenging Verstappen and Red Bull on a regular basis in 2024.

“Lewis is a seven-time F1 World Champion, and he knows that he’s got to get his elbows out just a little bit,” Croft added.

“I think Lewis knows he’s got to get his elbows out a little bit with Max as well. That’s why it’s proper box office.

“So my real hope for this year is that we actually get a Mercedes car that is a bit more on par with the Red Bull car.”