Ralf Schumacher chooses who has more ‘talent’ out of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen

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Ralf Schumacher is known for his dividing opinions in Formula 1 and has recently weighed in on who he thinks has the most ‘talent’ out of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Both drivers are F1’s most recent world champions, with Max Verstappen dominating the last two seasons at the wheel of his Red Bull.

The Dutchman took over the reins from Hamilton, who was also on an unstoppable run of victories before the pair battled for the title in 2021 before a controversial outcome at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

READ MORE: Jonathan Wheatley ‘bullying’ tactic helped Max Verstappen win 2021 championship

There will be a lot of debate over who is the best driver in this all-time F1 rivalry, with many pointing to Hamilton’s seven world titles compared to Verstappen’s three.

Verstappen is on course to win a fourth title in 2024, but Schumacher believes he is just scratching the surface of what is possible when speaking to Formel1.de.

Ralf Schumacher rates Max Verstappen ‘talent’ higher than Lewis Hamilton

Both drivers have suffered setbacks after years of dominance, with Hamilton now switching to Ferrari in a bid to mount an eighth title challenge and Verstappen struggling amid a resurgence from McLaren in 2024.

Discussing who he thinks will go further out of the pair, Schumacher expects the Dutchman has yet to hit the limits of what is possible in his career.

“We’ve seen in F1 that a team must provide their driver with the car to win a Grand Prix. We all thought Lewis Hamilton could walk on water,” said Schumacher.

“I thought Max Verstappen could walk on water, but in my view, he could actually go further than Lewis Hamilton in terms of talent. That’s what makes him even more of a different [talent].”

David Coulthard names Max Verstappen as the best overtaker on F1 grid

When discussing the best overtaker on the grid, former F1 driver David Coulthard likened Max Verstappen to outgoing Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.

Coulthard, who raced against Michael Schumacher during his time on the grid, believes Verstappen is willing to risk both cars in an overtake if his opponent doesn’t yield.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Verstappen illustrated this with his defensive move on Lando Norris, as he attempted to keep the lead from the McLaren driver. The stewards would later go on to issue a 10-second time penalty over the incident.

The Red Bull driver also sealed his first title with an unplanned overtake on Hamilton at Turn 4 in Aby Dhabi, after suffering from leg cramp due to the extended race distance.