"Lewis Hamilton is a brand, Max Verstappen is an F1 driver”: AlphaTauri team manager credits ‘nerd’ 3x champion for ‘saving’ the sport

AlphaTauri team manager Graham Watson compared Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, calling the Dutchman an 'F1 driver' and the Brit a 'brand'.

The two drivers share a pretty intense rivalry on the track and share mutual admiration and respect off it. Both have done their part in taking the sport forward globally and attracting more fans to F1 in recent years.

However, speaking to Verstappen.com, Watson believes that Lewis Hamilton was more of a 'brand' and wasn't a 'nerd' like Max Verstappen. He said:

“Lewis Hamilton is very talented, but is involved in so many things that people wonder: is he a Formula 1 driver or not? He’s associated with so many other things. Lewis Hamilton is a brand, Max Verstappen is a Formula 1 driver. And that won’t change."

“I’m not saying that what Hamilton is doing is wrong, but he’s not the nerd like Max. When guys like that are not in the car, they’re in the simulator or in a kart. They’re always trying to improve themselves.”

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F1 team manager credits Max Verstappen for 'saving' the sport

Graham Watson unabashedly credited Max Verstappen for 'single-handedly' saving the sport and claimed that he has had an impact reminiscent of Michael Schumacher.

He compared Vestappen's move to Red Bull from Toro Rosso to Schumacher's Ferrari move from Bennoton. Watson said:

“When Max went from us to Red Bull, I compared it to Michael Schumacher’s move to Ferrari. He made Formula 1 immensely popular at the time. Just look at the old images of Hockenheim and Spa: the stands were full of Schumacher flags. “I think Max single-handedly saved Formula 1. Because he brings the same intensity and generates interest."

"People come en masse to Austria, Spa – actually everywhere – for him. I didn’t even see that back in Schumacher’s time. Because of his style, and of the excitement he creates on track, Max brings a whole new audience to Formula 1."

Although the Red Bull driver has had an impact on the team and the sport, creating several records, it would be a bit early to stack up his career against Schumacher's.

The seven-time world champion changed the fortunes of Ferrari and brought the title after two decades, whilst Verstappen achieved similar success in eight years. However, it would be fascinating to see if the Dutch driver can have the same impact as Schumacher in the sport after he retires from F1.