Would Formula 1 indeed miss Hamilton and not Verstappen?
Red Bull Contentpool
General
- Ludo van Denderen
In a typical Jacques Villeneuve way, with a typical Jacques Villeneuve statement, the Canadian once again caused a stir this week. The former world champion stated that Formula 1 would miss Lewis Hamilton if he left the sport - unlike Max Verstappen would do if he left. Fans of the Dutchman were immediately up in arms after that statement. But does Villeneuve have a point or not?
If anything became clear in 2024, it is that Max Verstappen is currently head and shoulders the best F1 driver in the world. His victory in the dire conditions in Brazil was proof that Verstappen and Verstappen alone deserved the title. Not Lando Norris, not Charles Leclerc, not Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen.
Verstappen the sporting benchmark in Formula 1
Any Formula 1 enthusiast will admit - though I am sure some do it with pain in their hearts - that Verstappen always performs at the top level, and he does things others cannot. Looked at that way, it would be a loss if, hypothetically, the Red Bull Racing driver decided to leave the sport today.
But Verstappen is no Hamilton. It should not be forgotten that Hamilton has earned seven world titles and for years was the standard as Verstappen is today. No doubt critics cry out that it was all because of his car. Yes, the Mercedes had had for years was always very good, just as Verstappen had a car far above the rest for at least two seasons at Red Bull. And even having the fastest car does not guarantee a championship Just ask Valtteri Bottas or Sergio Perez.
What Villeneuve was referring to in his speech went beyond Hamilton's (current) sporting achievements. The Briton is an icon, someone whose charisma transcends the sport. Ask an average Swiss, Chinese or Canadian national to name an F1 driver, and chances are they will name Hamilton. Compare it to Lionel Messi. If Messi - now well on his way out - says goodbye to football, it is still going to feel like a huge loss, because the Argentine is bigger than his sport.
Hamilton drawing similarities to Senna
Should Hamilton decide to retire at some point, F1 will lose its poster boy, someone who opens doors all over the world. In that sense, Hamilton is like Ayrton Senna, also someone with an aura that transcended the sport. Both are drivers who are adored by hundreds of thousands of people.
Verstappen also has many fans, but it is different from Hamilton's. For instance, Verstappen has 13.5 million followers on Instagram, while Hamilton has 38.5 million. These are numbers that prove both are greats of the sport, but one is still just a little bigger than the other.
That is what Villeneuve was referring to, although Verstappen's (Dutch) fans will probably not see it that way. They probably think the flamboyant Canadian belittled their hero. But anyone who knows Villeneuve and has followed him over the years should know that he prefers the driver Verstappen to the driver Hamilton. That does not alter the fact that he seems to have properly appreciated the importance of the sport of both giants.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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