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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – NOVEMBER 26: Second place finisher Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates with his trophy on the podium during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – NOVEMBER 26: Second place finisher Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates with his trophy on the podium during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton has come a long way in developing his racecraft and attaining perfection to win titles. He currently stands unopposed, with the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen being the relatively closest challengers.
Arguably, Hamilton always had enormous talent when he first entered F1, but still needed some polishing in a few areas. Over the years, he has learned and applied that on the track, which has today made him one of the all-time greats.
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In an interview, former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger expressed his thoughts on the Hamilton-Verstappen debate. He believes that the 36-year-old is a more well-rounded driver, which gives him the advantage.
Lewis Hamilton is more ‘competitive and complete’ at the moment, says Berger
Speaking to Autosprint, and as quoted by RacingNews365, Berger said, “They are great drivers, but Lewis is more competitive and complete at the moment. Hamilton knows how to read the race and every lap of his is faster than his car is actually capable of.
“Hamilton feels his tyres as if they were his feet. That’s why he is always stronger during the crucial moments of a race.”
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ISTANBUL, TURKEY – NOVEMBER 15: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates winning a 7th F1 World Drivers Championship on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Turkey at Intercity Istanbul Park in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Tire management is one skill that Hamilton has perfected over the years, leading to a few important race wins. Berger believes the Briton is similar in this regard to the legendary likes of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
“For example, he always has his tyres in order before and after a pit stop, which makes him faster than the rest of the field. It’s fantastic to see, he is just like [Ayrton] Senna and [Michael] Schumacher in that,” concluded the ex-Ferrari driver.
Hamilton looks to be on course to break more F1 records in 2021
Assuming the Mercedes driver’s contractual situation gets resolved, then there is no question that Hamilton starts off as a title favorite in 2021. After all, he still has a few more years of peak performance left in him to achieve more milestones.
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SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – JULY 12: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates in parc ferme after winning the Formula One Grand Prix of Styria at Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Verstappen would definitely come close to challenging the Briton in the upcoming season. However, the combination of Mercedes-Hamilton is just too powerful, which only means further records could be broken.
Therefore, there is no doubt that Leclerc and Verstappen are the future of the sport. But as things stand, one can expect Hamilton to continue dominating the modern-day proceedings.
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