"I'd have to say no": Peter Windsor dismisses Lewis Hamilton's chances of beating Max Verstappen in equal machinery

F1 pundit Peter Windsor believes that Lewis Hamilton will not be able to beat Max Verstappen in equal machinery.

The Red Bull driver has been dominating the sport for the past two seasons after defeating the seven-time world champion to claim his maiden world title in 2021. Ever since, there has been a debate on who could be better between the duo if they were driving with equal machinery.

While recently appearing on Cameron F1's YouTube channel, Peter Windsor pointed out that having George Russell as his teammate would prove to be a hindrance for Lewis Hamilton in beating Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. He also answered whether Hamilton would beat Verstappen in 2024, saying:

"I'd have to say no because George Russell will take a lot of points from him. I don't think Perez will take the same number of points from Max and I don't think Carlos will take the same number of points from Charles.

"I think Lewis has got a much steeper hill to climb if all three cars are equal because he's got George in the other car."

Mercedes F1 director on Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's chances in the 2024 season

Mercedes technical director James Allison, meanwhile, has stated that both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have the capability of winning the championship if provided with the right equipment.

Allison pointed out that the seven-time world champion was the highest-scoring driver apart from Red Bull, while Russell was on par except a couple of mistakes. He said (via Sky Sports):

"They need us to provide them with the equipment. But Lewis has proved seven times that he is World Championship material and he was the highest-scoring non-Red Bull driver [in 2023].

"George made one or two errors during [2023], but equally, you've seen very strong performances from him in a number of races, and it has been quite a good learning experience for him in his second season with us. I'm certain that both men, with the right equipment, could be world champions if they fought hard and well enough."

Mercedes fans hope the W15 can challenge the RB20 in the 2024 season, and both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton get the opportunity to challenge and push Max Verstappen until the end.

However, given the time Red Bull had to develop their 2024 challenger, it could be tough for the former world champions to match them or even overhaul them this year.