Former F1 racer David Coulthard explained why Max Verstappen is a more controversial driver than Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are two of the biggest names Formula One has ever had due to the enormous success that both have and continue to accomplish.
Being two of the best drivers, both driving in the same era, the comparisons between the two are often made very often. The latest one came from former F1 driver David Coulthard.
The 13-time Grand Prix winner discussed on Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast why the triple World Champion is considered to be more controversial.
“Lewis is a slightly less controversial driver on track in terms of sending it and seeing what happens. We had a perfect example of that with Max in the [Austria] Sprint race, where he got overtaken into three, sent it down the inside to four.”
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During the Austrian Sprint race, Verstappen defended his P1 against Lando Norris on a McLaren, which was faster at that point. The 26-year-old got overtaken into turn three, and it looked like the battle might be over.
However, he then came back with a huge divebomb down the inside into turn four, which he was able to make stick without making a single contact with his rival.
“And you’re thinking, ‘Well, what’s going to happen here?’ But what did happen was he stopped the car, made the apex, and won the place back.”
“So by controversial, I mean that he’ll create moments where you’ll think, ‘Oh, what’s going to happen just in a moment’s time? Is there going to be contact?’ But in actual fact, he knows his car and the track.”
The former F1 driver then went on to point out another aspect that does not make Verstappen necessarily more controversial, but it does make him different from the seven-time World Champion.
“Their approaches are very different, though. I feel that Max’s intense love of racing, whether it’s virtual or real, is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. Whereas Lewis has done it very differently, jetting all over the world, all these outside interests.”
