Lewis Hamilton is considered as the greatest driver this sport has seen. However, it isn’t just his numbers that make us say that. Granted, he has amassed a whopping 103 wins and 7 champions spanning his illustrious F1 career, he has shown us on multiple occasions that he has that special something that distinguishes him from the rest. Everyone is in agreement with this except 2x champion, Max Verstappen.
Verstappen has carved a niche out for himself in these past few years. He’s the only one who can claim to be the man who essentially dethroned Hamilton. Yet, Verstappen still hasn’t solidified himself as above the Brit. Many think that the 38-year-old has still some fight left in him. However, according to Verstappen, the Silver Arrows’ ace lacks one distinct quality that could trump the Dutch lion.
Max Verstappen delivers a brutal reality check to Lewis Hamilton
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Hamilton went toe-to-toe with Verstappen in 2021. In the end, though, Verstappen triumphed. However, many attribute this to the controversial circumstances in which the Abu Dhabi race ended. That being said, Verstappen was confident of winning the title either way.
Verstappen was recently quizzed about the Brit. When asked if the 7x champion had that extra oomph that made him stand out, Verstappen said, “I don’t think so! Having extra capacity in Formula 1 is a huge advantage. That kind of thing isn’t earned afterwards. Only a few drivers have it.” [translated via Google Translate]
If not Hamilton, then who? Well, Verstappen counts himself in that list and another special driver. “When I’m talking to the engineer, I also hear that the Ferrari car is making a pit stop. Fernando [Alonso] stands out in that regard too. People will probably start to hate me for saying that, but that’s the way it is.”
While Verstappen would surely consider himself as the best driver on the grid, past and present. He still has a long way to go according to an ex-F1 champion.
Max Verstappen given a lesson in humility
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The 2x champion is flying right now. However, according to 2009 F1 world champion, Jenson Button, the Dutch driver can never go down as the greatest this sport has ever seen. And it isn’t because of how he has been driving.
Button was quoted by GPFans.com as saying, “There’s every possibility that Max [Verstappen] could go down as the greatest but I like the idea that you can’t be the best driver in the world if you haven’t stepped outside of F1.”
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Is Max Verstappen really a better driver than Lewis Hamilton?