Lewis Hamilton an “anomaly” in “group of villains” as Max Verstappen comparison made
"I say Lewis, but I put in brackets Lewis because Lewis actually has done it in a very, let's say, uncontroversial way."
Former F1 driver David Coulthard has described Lewis Hamilton as an “anomaly” when compared to other greats of the sport.
Max Verstappen’s aggressive driving against Lando Norris during the 2024 F1 season resulted in comparisons to the likes of Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna.
Schumacher and Senna were involved in numerous controversial incidents over the years, earning particular reputations.
However, Coulthard thinks that Hamilton doesn’t fall directly into the same category as Verstappen, Senna and Schumacher for one reason.
Speaking on the The Red Flags podcast, Coulthard said: “That's why Max deserves to be in the same category as an Ayrton [Senna], a Michael[Schumacher].
“I say Lewis, but I put in brackets Lewis because Lewis actually has done it in a very, let's say, uncontroversial way.
“I know there was contact with Max, in Max's first championship year [2021] at Silverstone, that's about as much on the edge contact I've seen from Lewis. He's a very clean racer, he manages to keep out of a lot of controversy throughout his career so he's this sort of anomaly in that group of the villains that you say.”
Coulthard was then asked if Hamilton’s reputation of being clean is down to Mercedes’ period of dominance where he could afford to take less risks.
He responded: “You’re absolutely spot on. There was a comfortable period there for Lewis where they had a car advantage and he’s an exceptional driver. It doesn’t diminish the results he had.
“Of course, when he’s gone wheel to wheel with Max, normally Max has come out in front because he’s got that absolute fighting spirit.
“We will be debating this beyond our lifetimes about the rights and wrongs. It transcends into other sports.”
In terms of Verstappen, Coulthard believes the Dutchman is pushing the limits just as Senna and Schumacher did in the past.
“There's always going to be the ones that are seen as being a little bit on edge,” he explained.
“But what they've actually done is redefined the modern era of where the line is. Michael did it. Ayrton did it.
“Max is doing it. And that's because every generation should be better. Now, better doesn't mean nicer. Better just means, they deliver.”
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
