Verstappen placed above Hamilton: 'Only a few F1 champions have that'
17:00, 23 Dec 2024
29 Comments
After securing his fourth world title, Max Verstappen has joined an illustrious list of Formula 1 drivers. He is now on a par with Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel and only has Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton ahead of him. Ralf Schumacher sees in Verstappen an exceptional quality that he believes not all great F1 champions possess.
Schumacher: 'Verstappen has just that little bit extra'
"He simply makes the difference. Max Verstappen is really capable of giving that little bit extra that those exceptional world champions before him already have. There are not many of them, and I honestly don't count Lewis Hamilton among that list," Schumacher praised Verstappen's skills to the German branch of Sky Sports.
"Hamilton is certainly exceptional, but also needs a bit of the perfect environment and car, just like Sebastian Vettel," the former F1 driver explained. "But Max Verstappen, what he has achieved this year in these circumstances - problems with Christian Horner, the departure of Adrian Newey. The car was superior in the beginning, then a disaster."
"Despite all the setbacks, he always kept working well with his team and always delivered. If you compare it to his teammate, it is absolutely incredible," Schumacher concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica
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Sorry UK fanboys. It's called "facts ". I know you hate facts that make you cry, but learn to cope.
Lewis had the constructors winning car EIGHT years. Max only had it TWO. Max has a higher win % and is more than halfway to the few records lewis has left.
Lewis failed to equal the records Max has set. Lewis could NEVER win WDC in the P3 car, but Max has won half his titles without the best car. FACT.
IF Max drives the Constructors winning car an additional SIX years!!! He will break every record ever set in F1. Yet, lewis failed. Lewis underachieved. Face it.
Also ... Just watch them drive. Lewis can't pass without using DRS on a straight. And lewis can't defend without crashing.
Sorry. Facts. Cope.
You will have the privilege of seeing one of my last comments ever :)
Correct that Max had the best car in 2022 (although first part of the year equal with Ferrari) and 2023. Correct that Max can drive around car issues and can still drive very decent with a bad car.
Wrong that Lewis can't pass without DRS or defend without crashing. Yes, he did crash too at times but so do many other drivers, and yes, including Max for example. Correct that Lewis has a harder time driving with a bad car compared to for example Max or in the case of the past years Russell. However, in a good balanced car Lewis is very quick and always a contender for the title. Lewis underachieved? Depends how you look at it. In the best car of the grid he won all his titles so he delivered, except 2021. Could he have driven better in the past 3 years with the difficult Mercedes, maybe, but it wouldn't have made a huge difference in the standings anyway.
edit : No need for you to stir up things like this, not needed and not wanted :)
I don’t fully agree I think every Champion he mentioned had unique things they brought that worked really well for them during those championships they won besides saying having a great car, I rate all of them worthy champs and they took advantage of everything given to them etc so I don’t believe in a GOAT but each of these drivers have shown they are among the best during each era they raced in
Peace on earth
Goodwill to all mankind……
However if you can not recognize the genius , the unparalleled skill and greatness that is Max Verstappen then you are a certified dipsh!t .
Again wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas even those dips….that need to get a life.
All the best.
Lol.........Ever thought about a job in Diplomacy?.... : )
Ever thought about job in espionage ?
I'm not allowed to say.... ; )
Ralf is wrong... Because at RBR there are two environments : An environment just for Max Verstappen and another environment for the other employers..
It's difficult not to believe that this lightweight washed off salty guy isn't mad as hell that Lewis has bested his brother on every stats category and is on the cusp of nailing the final coffin by taking his 8th. Y does he always feel d need to tell the world that max is better than Lewis? I think he just enjoys hearing himself talk
Why, because you don't like his personal opinion?
I never particular liked him, but he still has driven +180 races and won several races. There are a lot of people that have done a lot worse in their carreer.
"There are a lot of people that have done a lot worse in their carreer."
You may be thinking of the true GOAT (Graveliest Of All Time) Stroll yeah?
Good one, but I was actually thinking about some if the presenters of Sky F1 team.
Ralf Schumacher has a stick up his arse about Hamilton matching his brothers 7 titles. That's all it is.
There is no 'perfect environment' in F1.
On the topic of Max and Lewis, I'm not going to respond either on this.
I wonder who it will be tomorrow that's doing the glorifying.
My guess is Peter Windsor.
"Ralf Schumacher has a stick up his arse about Hamilton"
Really? not a dig at he being gay? cheap very cheap
Wise words. Will make Max haters furious for sure.
Nope not in the slightest. Ralf Schumachers opinions mean less than the last fart I did.
Gpblog trying to stir things up?
Typical article to make the comment section go crazy.
I'll give it one shot to tell my opinion without falling into bad arguments:
I think he's absolutely on point comparing Vettel, Hamilton and Verstappen when things get tough. Verstappen is often praised for being mentally tough and that's really his strong suit. And he gets even better when he's made angry. Hamilton and Vettel on the other hand are prone to give up when things doesn't go perfect.
But... (big but) he fails to mention Hamiltons strong points. He's a 7x WDC for a reason. He knows how to place the car perfectly, in a way others have to give up the corner or crash and when they crash they also get the blame. He really knows how to play the political game, being the nice guy. Verstappen is often a bit too honest he did things on purpose. That bites him. Oh, and this year it was very clear he has the advantage on George on race pace and tyre preservation. "Bono my tyres are gone." Fastest lap. In my opinion Hamilton is also one of the greats.
Agree.
? 65 points in a near perfect car at the beginning of the season and then defending that lead in a car on par .....common Ralph you're over simplifying my friend .
Comments like that are why people do put faith in your analysis or objectivity!
Max had a slower car this year, not on par, for 80% of the season since Miami.
What about 2021 when Max also had the lesser car and should not have
even been close to Lewis in points when Abu Dhabi came around?
Lewis never had 1 defining year when he raced with a slower car and won.
"people do put faith in your analysis or objectivity"
Are you sure you didn't misspell?
Asking because like it is now sounds like people actually believe what Vegan says.
In all honesty, I doubt it is the case. ?
Max had a slower car for 80% of the season? Come on now, that’s a stretch even for the most biased takes.
Till Spain, Max was the fastest (= 10 races) and he was also obvious the fastest in Qatar (= 11 times).
In the other 13 he had car on par 13 on 24 = ~54% .....get a grip please.
The RB20 may not have been as dominant in the second half, but slower? That’s laughable. It remained a top-tier car throughout, and if anything, Max’s consistency ensured that lead wasn’t just “defended,” it was untouchable.
As for 2021, the “lesser car” narrative has been debunked a thousand times. The RB16B and W12 were neck and neck all season. Acting like Max "shouldn’t have been close" completely ignores the fact that he drove the wheels off that car and consistently delivered.
And Lewis never winning with a slower car? Guess 2008 didn’t happen, huh? Or the years he had to fight a competitive Ferrari led by Vettel. If we’re going to make claims, let’s at least ground them in reality. This isn’t analysis; it’s just reaching to diminish Lewis’s achievements while rewriting history for others. Try again.
On par with what for 80%?
Your maths is seriously out of whack. Since Miami Max had car the wasn't quite the fastest one. That was for 14 races out of 24.
That's around 58%, not 80%.
So what about your analysis?
Then you bring up 2021 and go on about Lewis.
Where is your objectivity?
You've never had objectivity so what makes you think you can questoin anyone else's?
In 2021 Max didn't have a 'lesser car'. You make it sound like he was in a Haas or something. His car was on par with the Mercedes all season and had the advantage around more tracks than the Mercedes did. Thanks in part to the rule change that favoured high rake cars.
Lewis has won races when his car has not been the fastest. Many times. In the Vettel era and even this year when be beat Max 5 times and won 2.
Max only won 2 when his car wasn't the fastest this year too.
So they're kinda level there.
Again, where is your analysis? Because it's woefully lacking.
"Max had a slower car this year"
Slower than what? The unbeatable RB19? Nope, it was quicker.
Slower than what?
And it's a false statement to say that. He had the fastest car for the first 10 races. 42% of the year his car was the fastest.
I can only value your comment on it's comedic value unfortunately.
"Many times. In the Vettel era and even this year when be beat Max 5 times and won 2.
Max only won 2 when his car wasn't the fastest this year too.
So they're kinda level there."
So Max didn't win so much after Maimi, doesn't that make it even a better World champion battle.
Lol
Lol
Lol so original.
Lol