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Williams star Alex Albon has picked the greatest Formula 1 driver of all-time through a World Cup-style format.
Albon has competed against five world champions since he made his F1 debut in 2019 – Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. He got the closest glimpse at Verstappen during their 18 months together at Red Bull.
But as a child, the Thai driver idolised Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher. Albon was born in 1996, the same year Schumacher joined the Prancing Horse, and got into F1 as the German won a record-breaking five titles in a row (2000-04).
How would PRIME Michael Schumacher stack up against the current grid?
Alex Albon picks Michael Schumacher as the best F1 driver ever
Picking his bracket in a video for the P1 YouTube channel, Albon was left with a final four of Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Schumacher and Verstappen.
He chose Hamilton over Senna and Schumacher over Verstappen, which pitted F1’s two-seven world champions against each other in the final.
Albon picked Schumacher, who retired from F1 at the end of the 2012 season, despite Hamilton’s superior win record.
“I’m super obsessed with Michael,” he said. “Michael was my total fanboy hero. My dad decorated my bedroom for me: I had a red carpet, red walls, red alarm clock, red pillow case, red duvet.”
Where does Lewis Hamilton rank on the current Formula 1 grid?
Ironically, Hamilton succeeded Schumacher at Mercedes when Die Regenmeister left the sport for good. He is now trying to emulate him by ending a long title drought at Ferrari.
In 2000, Schumacher became the first Ferrari champion since Jody Scheckter 21 years earlier. The team’s current barren spell, dating back to Kimi Raikkonen’s 2007 triumph, is approaching 20 years.
After a dismal 2025 season, Albon’s prediction about Hamilton has come true. He felt the Briton would benefit from the regulation changes more than any other driver, and so it has proved.
After nine races, he sits third in the standings, just 32 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
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