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Max Verstappen recently named his list of top 5 F1 drivers of all time. However, the Red Bull star did not mention seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in the top three.
Max Verstappen has been dominating the sport since 2022. The Dutchman had an intense title battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021 where both drivers were level on points coming into the last race at Abu Dhabi. After the FIA brought aerodynamic changes in 2022, Red Bull was ahead of the curve and developed a dominant car. This helped the Dutch driver clinch the 2022 and 2023 world titles comfortably.
On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful F1 drivers in the entire history of the sport. He won seven world championships, equalling Michael Schumacher's record. He holds the record for most race wins (103), pole positions (104), podium finishes (197), and more. He won his first world title with McLaren and the rest with Mercedes.
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In an interview with DAZN, Verstappen was asked for a list of the top 5 F1 drivers of all time. He initially paused and stated that whichever driver he would choose, people would disagree and react strongly towards it.
"You know what it is? Whatever I choose, people will comment on, and not agree with."
Later on, he named Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Juan Manuel Fangio. Though he mentioned the Mercedes star in the list, he was not in the top three spots.
"I would go, you know, Michael, probably Ayrton, Fernando, Lewis, and Fangio."
Refer to the interview clip below:
When Max Verstappen praised Lewis Hamilton's long and successful career
Back in October 2023, Max Verstappen won his 50th race at the US Grand Prix. However, he still felt that it was 'rookie numbers' compared to Lewis Hamilton. Speaking in the post-race press conference, the Red Bull driver was happy to reach the milestone, but he also praised the number of race wins Hamilton had accrued over his long and successful career.
"Yeah, of course, it's a great number, it's still rookie numbers compared to Lewis. Yeah no it's a great number and I'm very happy and proud with it but let's try to win a few more," Verstappen said.
Max Verstappen continued to win races and recently clinched victory at the 2024 F1 Canadian GP. His current tally of race wins is 60. On the other hand, it has been more than two years since Lewis Hamilton won a race. His last race win was at the 2021 F1 Saudi Arabian GP when he was in a fierce title fight with Verstappen. His current tally of race wins is stuck at 103.
