Do you think the huge difference in results between Max Verstappen and his various team-mates over the years, compared with the closer battles Lewis Hamilton has had with some of his (Nico Rosberg, George Russell and Charles Leclerc) says more about Max, or the quality of his team-mates? – Simon
This is a very complex question, to which it’s not possible to give a definitive answer, because there are so many variables.
Yes, Verstappen has had a big advantage over several of his team-mates, especially in recent years.
But he and Carlos Sainz were relatively evenly matched in 2015 – in fact, on average qualifying pace, Sainz was slightly ahead over their year and a bit as team-mates.
And the same went for Daniel Ricciardo, although Verstappen inched his way from a little bit behind the Australian on average in 2016 to definitively, if not massively, ahead by the end of 2018.
After that, you also have to factor in Verstappen’s pre-eminence in the Red Bull team, the fact that everything was solely focused on him, and that the Red Bull car ended up in a place where it was very difficult to drive.
Even so, Sergio Perez did beat Verstappen on merit a handful of times.
At the same time, before arriving at Ferrari, Hamilton had definitively beaten all his team-mates through his career apart from Fernando Alonso in 2007, when they were to all intents and purposes even, and George Russell over there years at Mercedes.
Jenson Button scored more points than Hamilton over their three years together at McLaren from 2010-12 but Hamilton finished ahead two of the three years and scored considerably more wins. He also had a difficult season in 2011 when off-track factors affected his driving.
It can also be argued that, on balance, Hamilton has had a higher calibre of team-mate for more of his career than Verstappen.
What Verstappen has not had alongside him since 2018 is a driver who is both experienced and a recognised top liner.
It would be fascinating to see him alongside Leclerc, Russell or one of the McLaren drivers, for example.
Having said all of that, though, right now pretty much everyone in Formula 1 accepts that Verstappen is the stand-out driver on the grid. He’s right up there in the debate about who is the greatest of all time.
