Helmut Marko admits Lewis Hamilton was simply ‘better’ than Max Verstappen in one area in 2021

Follow us on Google Discover

Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen is ‘one of the greatest’ Formula 1 drivers he’s ever seen, claiming that the Red Bull superstar ‘doesn’t make any mistakes’.

While Verstappen’s streak of four world championships is unlikely to continue, he’s starting to be called the greatest of all time by more and more observers. Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have won more races than the Dutchman, who has only recently turned 28.

Verstappen took on Hamilton, the most successful driver ever, in his first championship campaign, and he won. Facing the Briton, in cars that were virtually neck-and-neck, may have been the ultimate learning experience.

Max Verstappen couldn’t match Lewis Hamilton’s ‘feeling for the tyres’ in 2021

Speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko raved about Verstappen’s ‘feeling for the tyres’. He now knows exactly how to tame the Pirelli rubber.

Back in 2021, Marko says this was a ‘handicap’ relative to Hamilton. The Mercedes driver exposed the few weaknesses that Verstappen still had.

Ferrari’s Marc Gene says Hamilton remains ‘very exceptional in tyre management’. He started racing in 2007, predating Pirelli’s arrival by four years.

“He’s definitely one of the greatest [I’ve ever seen],” Marko said of Verstappen. “He’s improving and improving. He’s completely focused.

“He’s been with us 10 years, nowadays he doesn’t make any mistakes. Lap by lap, he’s within one-tenth. If you tell him the left tyre is overheating, within two laps, he does the same lap time, but the tyre temperature goes down.

“He’s also learned this feeling for the tyres, which was a handicap in ’21. In this area, Hamilton was a bit better than him.”

Who does Lewis Hamilton think is his greatest opponent? It’s not Max Verstappen

Verstappen ‘appreciates the struggle’ he had against Hamilton, but doesn’t ‘miss’ fighting against the struggling Ferrari driver. He says his first title win was special but won’t expressly rank it as the best.

Jacques Villeneuve suspects that Hamilton has developed more respect for Verstappen, who hasn’t been a direct competitor in recent years.

However, Hamilton named Sebastian Vettel as the best driver he’s raced against since he entered F1. Verstappen and Vettel are currently tied on four titles apiece.