20 May 2023 , 12:47
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A former Lewis Hamilton coach has explained why he feels the Brit remains the best racer in Formula 1.
Hamilton and Max Verstappen played out one of the best title battles in the sport's history when they had similarly competitive cars in 2021. The Dutchman came out on top in controversial circumstances and has gone on to cement his place as the man to beat on the grid.
His second championship followed last year and he currently leads the 2023 standings. In contrast, Hamilton and his Mercedes team have been unable to challenge the might of the Red Bulls and look unlikely to do so any time soon.
The nature of F1 means that comparisons between non-team-mates are unfair, as they have different machines at their disposal. But Antti Vierula, coach to Valtteri Bottas who also used to work with Hamilton, has a reason why he thinks the 38-year-old is still top dog on the F1 grid.
"I think Lewis can win an eighth title – for me he is the fastest guy if I can't say Bottas!" he told Grosvenor Casino. "But it depends on the car and its performance too. As a person, he definitely can. For me, it's his mindset that keeps him pushing for that eighth title, he loves racing and keeps going."
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Naturally, given he is a former ally of Hamilton's there may be some personal bias in Vierula's claim. And the same can be said for Red Bull chief Christian Horner, who recently declared Verstappen has been the best driver on the grid for a long time.
Unsurprisingly, Horner disagrees with the suggestion anyone on the grid can keep up with Verstappen (Getty Images)And he suggested that the double world champion is still yet to reach his peak. "He's still evolving, still getting better as he gets experience, and he's just become more polished," Horner said of his Dutch racer.
"But that inner drive, hunger, skill and everything that we've seen from day one is still very much there. He's just a much more polished article now. I think he's currently the best driver and has been for the last three or four years."
Regarding Verstappen's future in the sport, he added: "I think Max is the kind of guy that one day will just decide in his mind what he wants to do. But he's 25, he's motivated, he's hungry to achieve a lot more. I do still think he's got quite a few racing years ahead."