Lewis Hamilton asserts that Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 teammates have yet to reach the level of excellence exhibited by his former colleagues at Mercedes and McLaren.
In the current season, Verstappen’s supremacy within the team is evident as he outshines Sergio Perez, firmly establishing his dominance in their internal rivalry.
At present, the Dutch driver commands a commanding lead over his teammate and closest competitor in the Drovers’ Championship, boasting a 138-point advantage.
It’s worth noting that Checo’s most recent triumph occurred a substantial 10 rounds ago at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Since that time, Verstappen has firmly established his authority within the Milton Keynes-based squad, dealing a blow to the Mexican driver’s confidence by equaling Sebastian Vettel’s impressive record of securing nine consecutive Grand Prix victories.
When asked about Verstappen’s exceptional performance, Hamilton shared his thoughts with Sky Sports F1, stating: “I’m no more impressed than when Michael [Schumacher] was leading, when Sebastian was leading when Kimi [Raikkonen] was driving, when Fernando [Alonso] was winning – it’s just the same.
“I think the [Red Bull] team as a whole is one of the strongest, they’re firing on all cylinders right now.
“The car is incredible, the drivers are doing an amazing job, very consistent, the pit crew is doing a great job, the mechanics are doing a good job, strategy is doing a good job – on point, you can’t fault them,” the Mercedes star further stated.
“In my personal opinion, all my team-mates have been stronger than the team-mates Max has had: Jenson [Button], Fernando, George [Russell], Valtteri [Bottas], Nico [Rosberg].
Hamilton concluded: “I’ve had so many. These guys have all been very, very strong, very consistent – and Max has not raced against anyone like that.”
