‘Better for F1’ if Verstappen beats Hamilton to 2021 title - Coulthard

Verstappen and Hamilton are locked in an intense battle for the 2021 title, with 19 points separating the pair heading into the final four races of the season. 

This weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix will stage the latest showdown between the Red Bull and Mercedes rivals as the championship heads towards its climax. 

Ex-Williams, McLaren and Red Bull driver Coulthard believes Verstappen coming out on top would be the better result for F1 and also provide Hamilton with a motivational reset. 

“I think Max winning the championship would be better for the sport,” Coulthard told Talksport. “It would be a good little reset for Lewis as well to keep his motivation.

“He always says the eighth title doesn’t change anything for him and it certainly wouldn’t make his legacy any better.

“He’s an exceptional driver and has earned that right. I look at some of the youngsters who come up to me who are gamers, Max is a gamer and they relate to him.

“The business of sport is about trying to capture new audiences and trying to bring those eyeballs to the track. I think Max will do that.”

But Coulthard concluded whoever prevails will ultimately be a deserving winner following their titanic year-long battle. 

“Both of them deserve it, so this isn’t a question of just one deserving it more or does one have a better car,” he said. 

“They are both exceptional athletes at the top of their game, [in] two different parts of their careers. Lewis is 36 and Max is 24 – very different. Lewis is a seven-time champion and Max is trying to get his first.

“In the end, when the helmet goes on and the visor closes, they are just racers and both able to perform better than anyone else currently.