Guenther Steiner shares who is the better F1 driver right now – Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen

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Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are widely regarded as the two best drivers on the Formula 1 grid. Verstappen has won the last three titles, but Hamilton is the most successful racer in the sport’s history.

With a 52-point advantage over Lando Norris, Verstappen is on course for a fourth successive title, even if the McLaren driver is expected to reduce that deficit before Abu Dhabi. He won the first of those championships in direct competition with Hamilton in 2021.

The two drivers produced one of the most epic season-long battles F1 has ever seen, culminating in perhaps the sport’s most controversial race in Abu Dhabi. The 39-year-old Briton will hope to exact his revenge before he retires, having made a bold move to Ferrari.

Assuming he retains his title this year, Verstappen will still be three shy of matching Hamilton. He’s also 44 wins, 64 poles and 92 podiums behind.

But outright numbers alone can’t be the decisive factor. Indeed, Verstappen is 12 years younger and has competed in 150 fewer Grands Prix.

David Coulthard described Hamilton as the ‘GOAT’ but feels he’s ‘met his match’. And now the former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner has weighed in during an appearance on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

Guenther Steiner explains why ‘hungry’ Max Verstappen has the edge over Lewis Hamilton

Steiner gives Verstappen a slight edge over Hamilton because he’s a ‘complete’ package. He suggested that the main difference between the two drivers was ‘hunger’.

According to a former Mercedes engineer, Hamilton doesn’t give maximum effort unless he can win. And he’s rarely had that opportunity at Brackley during the ground-effect era.

Steiner admits Verstappen may lose some of his drive later in his career when he’s achieved virtually all of his goals. But until that day comes, he’ll remain the best.

“I think he is [the best],” Steiner said. “He’s young, he’s very hungry, he’s a racer and he’s very talented. All this put together.

“You could say that for Lewis Hamilton as well. He’s won seven championships. Lewis for sure is a fantastic driver. But is Lewis as driven and hungry as Max is? I don’t know.

“Maybe Max in five years is different as well. We don’t have the Max now like the Max from four or five years ago. I think as a complete driver, in the moment, Max for sure is the best.”

Could Max Verstappen move halfway through 2025?

Publicly, Verstappen has expressed little interest in records. But even as a three-time world champion, he’s desperate to win, hence his angry radio messages to Red Bull during his ongoing eight-race drought.

Ahead of the 2026 regulation changes, he faces a vital decision. He could show loyalty to his current team after their historic partnership, but the departures of Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Will Courtenay, along with the end of their Honda deal, could disrupt a winning formula.

These concerns may have contributed to a wild prediction from Dutch racing driver Jeroen Bleekemolen. He says it’s not ‘unthinkable’ that Verstappen could join Aston Martin midway through 2025.

That would mean replacing Fernando Alonso, who will hope to win a third title with the team in 2026 following Newey’s arrival. A more realistic scenario may see Verstappen move to Mercedes at the expense of George Russell or Kimi Antonelli.