Despite being ‘robbed of the 2021 title’, F1 pundit still feels Lewis Hamilton is the best driver to contest Max Verstappen for the championship

F1 journalist Andrew Wright believes Lewis Hamilton had to face more competition than Max Verstappen for the world championships that he won. He also stated that Hamilton was "robbed" of the 2021 world championship, which has been forgotten by most F1 pundits and fans.

Max Verstappen snapped Hamilton's streak of four consecutive world titles in 2021 under contentious circumstances. Since then, the Dutchman has been the best driver on the grid by a mile, cruising to the title in 2022 and building a healthy lead in the ongoing season.

In his column on Total Motorsport, Wright said:

"Pundits and fans of F1 have notoriously short memories. That Hamilton was, by most accounts, robbed of the 2021 title has been quickly forgotten by people keen for an easy soundbite."

Lewis Hamilton has been the subject of extreme criticism since Mercedes' dip in performances in 2022. Hamilton hasn't won a single race in over a season due to the limitations of the car that he is working with. Addressing these criticisms, Wright said:

"Hamilton has been on the receiving end of [a litany of critics] more than most. All the while Verstappen is lauded as one of the greatest of all time. It's bizarre."

Wright also said that despite the change in his approach over the years, Lewis Hamilton remains the most capable challenger to Verstappen's dominance. He added:

"He may not be the bold, risk-taker of his McLaren days, but the reality is that Hamilton remains the driver most capable of going toe-to-toe with Verstappen on equal footing and coming out on top."

---

Andrew Wright believes Max Verstappen hasn't faced competition since the 2021 title race against Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen has dominated the grid since the beginning of the 2022 season, powered by the incredible challengers that Red Bull has produced.

Wright believes that Verstappen hasn't faced much competition on the grid in the last year and a half. He stated that drivers like Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, George Russell, and Fernando Alonso aren't capable of challenging the Dutchman for the title. He said:

"For all Charles Leclerc is rapid over a single lap, last year proved he is still far too prone to race-day errors to become a world champion. The same can be said for his teammate Carlos Sainz."

"Russell and Alonso have been the other standout performers of 2023 but could they really live with the consistency of Verstappen over an entire season at this stage of their respective careers? I’m not sure."