What secrets behind the success of Max Verstappen over Hamilton according to Ralf Schumacher????
After winning the fourth consecutive World Championship, Verstappen is a serious candidate for F1’s List of Legends — but how does he compare to the age-mate and fellow champion Hamilton?
Current F1 analyst and ex-drivers that raced for most of the teams in the F1 circuit and current brother in law of Michael Schumacher Ralf Schumacher has given F1 fans some insights on what makes both drivers so good.
Max Verstappen “makes the difference”
The last decade of Formula 1 has been largely dominated by two drivers: Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.
The Mercedes outfit flourished upon the introduction of hybrid V6 power units, launching into competition in 2014.
Though Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas played critical roles in the team, it was certainly no secret that Lewis Hamilton was the star.
But in 2021, in the final year of F1’s previous regulatory set, a new challenger emerged: Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing.
While there’s still ample controversy surrounding the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi that saw Verstappen secure his first World Championship, the Dutch racer’s abilities weren’t confined to just one season.
In 2022 and 2023, he put on a masterclass of dominance. Though 2023 saw the introduction of challenges from McLaren and Ferrari, Verstappen remained the dominant driver — even in equipment that was obviously struggling.
That’s because, according to pundit Ralf Schumacher, Verstappen “makes the difference.”
In speaking to Sky Germany, Schumacher stated that “Max Verstappen is really capable of giving that little bit extra that those exceptional world champions before him already have.
“There are not many of them, and I honestly don’t count Lewis Hamilton among that list.”
It’s an extremely bold statement to make about a driver that has won more races than any other, and Schumacher does admit that Hamilton is “exceptional.”
However, he also argues the Briton “needs a pit of the perfect environment and car” to succeed — “just like Sebastian Vettel.”
Max Verstappen, on the other hand, needs nothing of the sort.
Schumacher pointed to the various problems that plagued Red Bull in F1 2024, from the departure of designing mastermind Adrian Newey to the allegations of misconduct aimed at Christian Horner.
It led to a season where “the car was superior in the beginning, then a disaster.”
“Despite all the setbacks, he always kept working well with his team and always delivered,” Schumacher said.
“If you compare it to his teammate, it is absolutely incredible.”
Ralf Schumacher is not alone in voicing such an opinion this season would undoubtedly be equally true. Lando Norris, who got drunk to unseat Verstappen in 2024, saddly conceeded that there is no one else than the Dutchman to squeeze a race weekend to the last drop, no matter the conditions.
Speaking to PlanetF1.com after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Norris said, ‘Max hasn’t really made a mistake this whole year, honestly.’‘It seems to never fall into weakness, he has no flaws as a political leader.’ss a similar sentiment this season. Lando Norris, who worked hard to dethrone Verstappen in 2024, admitted that the Dutch driver is uniquely able to extract the most from a race weekend, no matter the circumstances.
After the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Norris told media including PlanetF1.com that Verstappen hadn’t “put a foot wrong, really, the whole year.
“That’s a strength of his, he has no downsides. He has no negatives.
“But it is also important to note that when he’s had the quickest car, he dominated.” Even when he did not get into the fastest car, he has been right behind us almost challenge for the victories anyway.
“He has not shown a bad bone in his body.” He has no poor race right through the year. His worst was like a fifth or something.”