Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has been a force to be reckoned with in Formula One. He has been consistently delivering strong performances and challenging for championships over the past decade. The seven-time world champion never really faced any significant competition until the arrival of Red Bull star Max Verstappen.
The 25-year-old young Dutch driver did something no driver was able to do, which was to defeat Lewis Hamilton in different machinery. He broke the British driver’s prolonged championship streak in 2021 to attain his maiden title. A year later, the Red Bull driver successfully defended his title while becoming the youngest driver on the grid to achieve the feat. Since then, there has been a growing debate among fans to determine the better driver between the two.
Former F1 Champion Picks His Ultimate F1 Driver Between Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen
When it comes to the debate over who is the ultimate Formula 1 driver between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, opinions are divided. However, one voice that carries considerable weight in this discussion is that of Damon Hill, a former F1 world champion himself. Hill’s insight and experience make his perspective valuable in analyzing the abilities and achievements of Verstappen and Hamilton. In a podcast, Hill was tasked to evaluate the best driver on these four parameters: pace, racecraft, experience, and awareness.
Damon Hill unsurprisingly picked Max Verstappen for pace. However, the former champion gave Lewis Hamilton a point in racecraft. He said that the British driver spends a lot of time with his engineers and is also responsible for bringing in a lot of positive changes in the machinery. For experience, he refused to pick between the duo. Instead, Hill named Fernando Alonso as the best-experienced driver. He even said that with the kind of knowledge Alonso possessed, he could run F1 someday. But ultimately, Damon picked Max Verstappen as the ultimate F1 driver of the modern age. He believes that Hamilton and Alonso have passed their prime while the Dutch driver is still embarking on it. Hence, the Red Bull driver is the next big thing waiting to explode in Formula One.
Verstappen Has No Plans To Chase Hamilton’s Records
Indeed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is currently the best driver on the grid. He has already won two driver’s championships at the age of 25 and has a whole career lying ahead of him. At this pace, he can easily edge past Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher‘s ultimate championship record. However, the Dutch driver remains least interested in chasing such titles.
In a recent interview, Max Verstappen hinted at early retirement after his current contract with Red Bull ends in 2028. He does not want to keep racing all his life. The Dutch driver feels there are bigger things in life to enjoy and explore. Hence, once he feels satisfied with his racing career, he will hang up his helmet. By the time that day arrives, if he manages to attain the world record, it’s great. But even if it does not happen, Verstappen will happily walk away from the world of Formula One.
