WATCH: From Baku blunder to Silverstone fightback – The highs and lows of Hamilton's season so far

Lewis Hamilton has become used to being top of the Formula 1 tree, with just one season in the last seven not ending with the Mercedes racer as world champion. Could 2021 be the year it slips from his grasp again? Max Verstappen is trying his hardest to make that happen in what is becoming one of the most intense – and tightest – championship battles we've seen for years.

Hamilton's season began with a stunning win in Bahrain, and he has also taken victories in Portugal, Spain, and memorably at Silverstone – where he took his eighth win at that track after a controversial tangle with Verstappen on the opening lap.

READ MORE: Who’s got the mental edge – and who will come out on top? Our writers on the Hamilton vs Verstappen battle

It hasn't all been going his way though, with a five-race winless run from Monaco to Austria, including a missed opportunity in Azerbaijan when brake problems at a late red flag restart dropped him from vying for victory to out of the points in a puff of tyre smoke.

Hit play on the video above to see all the highs and lows of Hamilton's season so far, with the battle for the title set to resume next week at the Belgian Grand Prix...