Esteban Ocon names the two F1 drivers he thinks are even more talented than Lewis Hamilton

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Alpine’s Esteban Ocon believes that Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are the most naturally talented drivers on the Formula 1 grid right now.

Considering seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and legendary veteran Fernando Alonso are still starring for Mercedes and Aston Martin respectively, that’s a bold claim.

However, the Frenchman was speaking on the High Performance Podcast and asked about his toughest rivals.

Ocon raves about Verstappen and Leclerc

There are several reasons why it could be argued that the current Formula 1 grid is one of the strongest in recent memory.

With no rookies on the grid, the level of experience in the paddock is impressive, with even young drivers like Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll having been in the sport for a long time.

There are only three current world champions, but that’s due to the sheer dominance of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton over the past decade.

Young drivers are queuing up for a shot at racing in F1 and Oliver Bearman showed in Saudi Arabia that there are plenty of drivers with seriously high potential not on the grid.

However, when the likes of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are starring at the front of the grid and drivers like Esteban Ocon can’t get through Q1, then it shows the level in Formula 1 right now.

There seems to be a habit of drivers coming through in waves now, with George Russell, Lando Norris and Alex Albon all earning a promotion to F1 at the same time.

Given the state of the driver’s market right now, 2025 might be the perfect time for a string of top talent in F2 to move up one more level.

Ocon names junior rivals as most talented drivers on the grid

Host Jake Humphrey asked the Frenchman: “Apart from you, who do you think is the most naturally talented driver on the grid at the moment?”

Ocon replied: “Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. I’ve raced with them, well with Charles since 2005, [and] Max 2010 and it doesn’t matter what the conditions were, we were always neck and neck or in the top three always. So, them.”

Verstappen’s quality has been clear to see for years and Martin Brundle has previously suggested like Ocon that Leclerc is even more talented than his current record suggests.

The domination of Red Bull in recent years after seasons of Mercedes leading the way have made it difficult to tell just how good some drivers are if they’ve never had a chance in a championship-winning car.

Leclerc will hope Ferrari can deliver a car capable of challenging Red Bull next year, particularly with Hamilton arriving.

If he can beat the seven-time champion in the same car, then he’ll cement himself as one of the fastest drivers of his generation.