F1 legend Gerhard Berger has shared his opinion of who is a better driver – Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen, 26, currently sits atop of the 2024 Formula 1 Championship table on 313 points with seven wins and ten podium places for the campaign so far.
And the Belgian-Dutch driver has six more Grand Prix and three more sprints before the calendar comes to a close to extend his lead even further. With just 174 points left to play for – should he finish first in each of the remaining events – it looks highly unlikely that Hamilton will be able to challenge Verstappen for this year’s championship with Mercedes, especially trailing at sixth in the standings with just 166 points to his name though wins at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.
While from a new fan’s perspective on paper, it may appear that Verstappen is clear of Hamilton in terms of driving capabilities, the history books tell a completely different tale. The 39-year-old holds a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles (tied with Michael Schumacher) and holds the record for the most wins, podium places and pole positions.
Verstappen, meanwhile, has won the Formula 1 Championship three years in a row now – and looks to clinch his fourth with Red Bull when the 2024 campaign comes to a close, unless McLaren’s Lando Norris can make a late comeback and bridge the 59-point gap between first and second. And while it may be too tight to call who is the better driver overall between Verstappen and Hamilton just yet, former Ferrari man Berger has made a bold claim that Verstappen is the greatest of all-time.
Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, the 65-year-old confessed: “He thinks through where you can overtake and where you can’t. Neither (Ayrton) Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool.
“It’s just noticeable that Max is always in the right place. At the start, in the first corner, in a duel. I can’t think of anything that could be done better than him. That’s why Max Verstappen is probably the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1.”
Despite the Austrian’s praises, Verstappen still has a long way to go should he want to etch his name into the history books ahead of well-established greats like Hamilton and Schumacher. The 26-year-old, of course, clasped last year’s F1 Championship with a record-setting 575 points by winning 19 of the 22 Grand Prix, but his 61 wins in total are but a drop in the ocean when compared to Hamilton’s 105 and Schumacher’s 91.
With 108 podiums, he also lags behind Hamilton (201) while his 32 fastest laps aren’t a patch on his rivals’ 67 and 77 (Schumacher) respectively. And while he’s already beaten Schumacher in terms of total career points – racking up 2,899.5 to date – he still has a long way to go should he eclipse Hamilton’s 4,805.5, especially considering the Briton is still driving and showing no signs of calling it quits just yet.
