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The 2021 season witnessed one of the most intense rivalries in F1 history, where Max Verstappen denied Lewis Hamilton a record-breaking eighth championship victory. The latter, who shares his championship record with one of the biggest names in F1, Michael Schumacher, has been regarded as the greatest driver, statistically, and otherwise. With an unfortunate defeat in the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, people are, however, wondering if Hamilton's era of domination is coming to an end.
Verstappen became the youngest driver to compete in F1 in 2015, and last season, he also became the first Dutch F1 world champion. Despite several moments of bad luck throughout the 2021 season, the Dutchman managed to consistently challenge Hamilton. The variation in car performance between Red Bull and Mercedes last year made all the difference in crucial championship points. In light of this, we look at three reasons why Max Verstappen would be regarded as faster than Lewis Hamilton.
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#1 Max Verstappen is the perfect blend of adaptability, aggression, and precision
Max Verstappen has gained layers of experience from competing with opposition relatively stronger and more experienced than himself for the majority of his racing career. With this, he has formed a valuable intuition that allows him to push his limits even in unpredictable circumstances.
The 24-year-old had a fast-tracked career in racing, having only spent a single year in Formula 3 before stepping into an F1 car. His ability to adapt to different conditions is likely to come in handy, especially in the next few seasons. Whether it be qualifying at a rain-soaked Spa or rapidly deteriorating race conditions at Sochi, he has amply demonstrated his adaptability.
With new cars coming in 2022, it will only be those drivers who can understand the new developments and their foundation that will fight to take a championship victory.
While the Dutchman is perceived to be aggressive, people often underestimate the importance of having the right level of aggression. One does not emerge victorious in F1 without such assertiveness. Lewis Hamilton has been largely unchallenged for many seasons now. So, when Max Verstappen went the extra mile to secure his place at the top, as seen at Circuit Paul Ricard or Interlagos, the Briton was caught a little off guard.
The Red Bull driver was undoubtedly overly aggressive in his earlier seasons. Barring a few incidents here and there, like Silverstone or Monza, he has developed maturity as a driver over the years. This allows him to achieve aggressive maneuvers successfully with precision unlike any other driver on the grid. Together, these traits help establish Verstappen as one of the fastest drivers on the grid.
#2 His karting pedigree — Strength of roots and foundation
Karting forms the foundation of a career in racing so the level of experience that comes with it is surely of an advantage to Max Verstappen.
Verstappen stepped into his first kart at the age of four, having been brought up by parents who raced all their lives. The Dutchman honed his skills over the years and, in 2007, he swept up the Dutch and Belgian Minimax championships, along with the Belgian Cadet championship. He then went on to dominate every race he took part in, with an outstanding season in 2013. That year, he transitioned to KZ1, the highest karting category, and immediately won six out of eight championships he entered in.
Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, started his karting career at eight years old. The Briton has reasonably less karting experience than his Red Bull rival — seven years of karting, as compared to Verstappen's nine. Moreover, Verstappen has an enviable statistic of winning at least one championship every year of his karting career, something that Hamilton cannot boast of. His unashamed driving style caught the attention of everyone around him. This has flawlessly translated into consistency on F1 tracks.
Verstappen may have been at a slight disadvantage with how quickly things progressed for him, as seen in his lack of maturity and difficulty in understanding acceptable limits in the first few years of his F1 career. Today, however, he uses his unmatched level of karting experience, now combined with a reasonable number of years of experience in F1, to fight for the title and defend it.
#3 Championship win with second best car is no mean feat
Throughout the season, the performance gap between the Mercedes and Red Bull cars was pretty evident. That the Mercedes was inherently fast was accepted even by the latter team. If it had been disputed earlier, the phenomenal drive by Lewis Hamilton from the back of the grid to win the Sau Paulo Grand Prix would have been ample proof to the contrary. Although Honda improved their engine for the 2021 season, it had a tough time keeping up with the pace advantage of Mercedes' power unit.
In light of this, seeing Max Verstappen win the title in a car that was second-best on the grid is commendable in itself. Doing so while leading 652 laps of the 1297 laps this season, where his rival Hamilton led only 297 of the remaining, goes on to show the phenomenal pace of the Dutchman. When one sees this statistic vis-à-vis the performance gap, the fact is pretty much established: Max Verstappen is fast.
When fighting for the 2021 title, both drivers were in very different stages of their respective careers. While one fought for a maiden championship, the other fought to bring home an eighth. It is safe to say that Verstappen is just getting started while Hamilton has possibly reached the peak of his powers, opening up opportunities for the Dutchman to stay on top.
