Max Verstappen put an end to Lewis Hamilton‘s dominance when he claimed his first title in Abu Dhabi, in 2021. Since then, the scales have been titling in favor of Red Bull’s golden boy with each passing day as the rival Mercedes has been on a doomed downward trajectory. While a new era sans Hamilton’s dominance has set in, the ground reality of him being the most dominant figure continues. Interesting data has revealed that the reigning double champion still has a long way to go to trump the Mercedes driver in terms of popularity.

Formula 1’s foundational building block is the green bills. Truckloads of money go into constructing a car or organizing the event. And while that already makes it one of the most expensive sports in the world, the driver takes home a lot of cash as well. ESPN’s senior writer, Ryan McGee, shared a recent analysis from RantCasino indicating that the hepta champion still rules at the fan front, making him earn $106, 680 per Instagram post.

The estimated earnings saw Lewis Hamilton top the charts and while the reining double champion settles for a third place behind the Ferrari man Charles Leclerc, nobody comes close to the 7x champion. The man earns more that the other 4 drivers in the top 5 tally, combined.

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While the numbers still believe in the Briton’s mighty hold over the fans, Max Verstappen has also joined the bandwagon to praise the 7x champion.

Max Verstappen accepts Lewis Hamilton’s legacy

Before the curtain raiser of the Bahrain GP, Verstappen was asked about his dynamics with several drivers. To no one’s surprise, the champion was asked to shed light on his relationship with Lewis Hamilton. Stating that the duo doesn’t have a “difficult relationship,” he went on to accept the mighty legacy of Hamilton’s achievements.

As quoted by GP Fans, Verstappen said, “He is definitely up there as one of the greatest drivers ever. I have no need or desire to deny that. Consistency is his key, and staying on top of his game. That is not so hard when you are so talented; it doesn’t take a lot of effort to do that. The way he has managed his championships is very impressive. He has stood up when he needed to and made the difference.”

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Do you think the Silver Arrows will be able to make a comeback to step on the top step of the podium? Let us know in the comments below.