NASCAR Legend Jeff Gordon Once Turned a Blind Eye to Lewis Hamilton While Naming the “Greatest F1 Driver of All Time”

With 103 wins and seven world titles to his name, Lewis Hamilton is surely one of the greatest drivers of Formula 1, if not the greatest. When it comes to the greatest driver, people have different names in their minds, and among them, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, etc are the names that are often mentioned. NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, however, once had a completely different name in mind when it comes to the greatest in the sport.

The four-time NASCAR champion, back in 2015, hailed the former F1 driver Mario Andretti. This was when he met with the Silver Arrows star and the American veteran driver before his last race in Homestead. Calling Andretti Sr. the GOAT, Gordon nullified every comparison between the two greats.

As per Autosport, Gordon said, “I was a huge fan of Mario, especially because he ran sprint cars and USAC, and knowing he ran stock cars I believe he’s the greatest driver of all time, Formula 1, all the things he did. Nobody is in Mario Andretti’s league. That’s like a whole ‘nother league.”

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Mario Andretti, the Italian-born American, has been a phenomenon during his time in F1. He has 131 F1 entries to his name, where he picked up 12 Grand Prix wins, 19 podiums, and 18 pole positions. Currently 82 years old, he and his son Michael Andretti are pushing for a team in Formula 1 off late.

Jeff Gordon is a Lewis Hamilton fan

Jeff Gordon, who hailed Mario Andretti as the greatest ever when it comes to the comparison with Lewis Hamilton, is interestingly a fan of the British driver. As per Autosport, the NASCAR driver admitted to this. Not only this, Gordon once handed a personal invite to the F1 driver.

Talking about this, the NASCAR personality shared, “I’ve liked Formula 1 ever since I drove the Formula 1 car. [Gordon drove a Williams F1 car in 2003 in a car swap with Juan Pablo Montoya] I always have been fond of that sport, and if you asked me what sport do you watch the most besides NASCAR, I’d say Formula 1, then NFL.”

“And so I was already a fan of [Hamilton], and then he went and won the championship, and we just stayed in touch, and then this year I’ve been in touch with him and cheering him on and just communicating with him,” concluded the 51-year-old American.

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As for Lewis Hamilton, he might not be the greatest ever F1 driver, but statistically, he is surely the most successful one. However, will he be the greatest ever after he picks up his eighth world championship? Only time will tell.