Coulthard Picks Verstappen Over Hamilton, Citing Peak Form

Former F1 driver David Coulthard has placed Max Verstappen ahead of Lewis Hamilton in a hypothetical champion ranking, arguing that the current four-time champion is still developing while Hamilton is past his absolute peak. Coulthard based his decision on performance metrics like the stopwatch and race results, suggesting Verstappen's upward trajectory gives him the edge over Hamilton's storied career.

Why it matters:

Coulthard's opinion adds fuel to the perpetual "greatest of all time" debate, offering a perspective from a fellow driver who competed against Hamilton. It highlights a growing narrative that Verstappen is entering his prime while Hamilton, now at Ferrari, is navigating the latter stages of his legendary career. This perspective shifts the focus from historical statistics to current form and future potential.

The details:

• In a knockout-style tournament on the Red Flags podcast, Coulthard faced Verstappen against Hamilton in the semi-final.
• On Verstappen: Coulthard praised the Dutch driver for being "grounded" and "present," and believes he is still developing with more potential to unlock. He stated, "how far can this guy go?"
• On Hamilton: Coulthard controversially suggested Hamilton is "past his peak," noting his recent struggles to consistently outperform teammates George Russell at Mercedes and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
• The Metric: He framed his choice around objective F1 measures: "the stopwatch, and it’s a chequered flag," implying Hamilton's outright qualifying pace may have diminished.

Looking ahead:

While Verstappen ultimately lost to Ayrton Senna in Coulthard's final, the Dutchman's placement above Hamilton is the headline takeaway. This debate will likely intensify during the 2025 season as Hamilton continues to adapt to Ferrari and Verstappen aims to reclaim the championship title he narrowly lost to Lando Norris.