Here are the top three drivers in the sport right now, according to F1 TV pundit Martin Brundle

Martin Brundle, one of the most beloved F1 TV pundits, was recently part of a Q&A session before the Miami GP. He was asked numerous questions about F1's future, Lewis Hamilton, the championship fight between Ferrari and Red Bull, etc. One question that made everyone take notice was posed by a fan, asking Martin Brundle's view on who he felt were the top 3 drivers in F1 right now.

The fan asked, "In light of Helmut Marko's comments recently, who would you say are the top three drivers in Formula 1 right now?"

Martin Brundle had a rather surprising answer. The F1 pundit said:

"The top three drivers in F1? That's tough. I think Max... Charles... and then I'm looking at Lewis, George or Lando as being the third. But I rate Carlos Sainz, and Fernando Alonso could be up there too. A top three is really hard as you've got to leave out an absolutely world class driver. Can I do top five?!"

Martin Brundle placed Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, as a joint third in his rankings, which was surprisingly concurrent with the rankings of Helmut Marko, who had picked Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris as the top three drivers on the grid at the moment.

The choice did cause a bit of an outrage on social media as Hamilton fans questioned whether such a ranking was justified, especially considering Lewis Hamilton's stature in the sport.

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Does Lewis Hamilton deserve a place in the Top 3 F1 drivers?

While there is a bit of an outrage over where Lewis Hamilton is being placed in the pecking order, the bigger question that probably needs to be addressed is whether the Mercedes driver even belongs in the top-3 group this season.

If we look at his illustrious career as a whole, there's no way Lewis Hamilton is not going to be part of the top 3. However, if we look at it solely on the basis of his performances this season, then it's a little harder to add him in the top 3.

Both Charles and Max have been in a league of their own this season and for that third spot, there are some extremely strong contenders like Lando Norris, George Russell and Sergio Perez that have put together an impressive streak. In some ways, it does appear that Martin Brundle considered that before he gave his picks.