With Red Bull leading the way, Max Verstappen is currently the dominant force in Formula 1, while Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team have found it difficult to compete with their opponents.
A superior Enemy of Max Verstappen, the Dutchman is praised as “the best thing that has happened to Formula 1” and Lewis Hamilton is accused of being unfocused.
Throughout the past two seasons, Verstappen has dominated the Formula One world. Specifically, the previous year he won his third drivers’ title, he and his Red Bull team absolutely destroyed the opposition.
He’s still a long way from what Hamilton has accomplished in the game. The 39-year-old holds the record for the most race victories (103), but none of them have occurred in the previous two seasons. He is a seven-time world champion.
His accomplishments as a Red Bull driver have made working with him a pleasure for those connected to both of their teams. Graham Watson, the manager of the AlphaTauri team, is obviously very passionate about Verstappen.
“Max is the best thing that has happened to Formula 1,” he said. “When Max went from us to Red Bull, I compared it to Michael Schumacher’s move to Ferrari. He [Schumacher] made Formula 1 immensely popular at the time. Just look at the old images of Hockenheim and Spa: the stands were full with Schumacher flags.
“I think Max single-handedly saved Formula 1. Because he brings the same intensity and generates interest. People come en masse to Austria, Spa, actually everywhere for him. I didn’t even see that back in Schumacher’s time. My wife is 60 years old, but a big fan of Max because of his style, because of the excitement he creates on track.”
Thanks to his remarkable accomplishments in sports, Hamilton has undoubtedly amassed his own army of devoted fans in the UK and beyond. Watson, though, continued to say Verstappen has accomplished more in that area and questioned the Brit’s dedication to Formula One.
He included; “Max brings a whole new audience to Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton is very talented, but is involved in so many things that people wonder, ‘Is he a Formula 1 driver or not?’
“He’s associated with so many other things. Lewis Hamilton is a brand, Max Verstappen is a Formula 1 driver. And that won’t change. I’m not saying that what Hamilton is doing is wrong, but he’s not the nerd like Max. When guys like that are not in the car, they’re in the simulator or in a kart. They’re always trying to improve themselves.”
Despite doubts about his dedication to Formula One, Hamilton did sign a new contract with Mercedes last year that will keep him with the team through the end of 2025. By then, he will be close to 41 years old, but there have been many hints that this contract might not be his last before he retires.
