Lewis Hamilton: Max Verstappen picks Mercedes star and Valtteri Bottas as 2019's best drivers

Max Verstappen

Verstappen picks 2019's best drivers: Hamilton and...?

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Matthew Scott

Thursday 6 June 2019 11:12 Updated: 13:06

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Max Verstappen says Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas should perhaps be regarded as the best performing drivers in Formula 1 so far in 2019. The Silver Arrows duo sit well clear of their rivals in the drivers' standings, having shared victory of the opening six races between them.

Hamilton has taken four wins so far this year, with Bottas victorious in Australia and Azerbaijan.

Verstappen is fourth in the championship, having driven impressively for a Red Bull side still trying to extract extra performance from the RB15, but the Dutchman is already 59 points adrift of the reigning champion.

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Asked who the best driver on the grid is, Verstappen said the Mercedes drivers' advantage in the standings should be taken into account.

"No idea, that's always hard to say," he told Servus TV.

"At the moment, of course, it looks like Mercedes is doing the best job, and then it's quite normal for drivers to do the best job as well."

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber was appearing on the same programme as Verstappen, and pegged the Dutchman on a par with Hamilton.

"At the moment, Max and Lewis are at a very high level," Webber said. "Lewis delivers every weekend and shows how incredibly strong he is and has been doing so for 10 years.

"Max can get to that level too - if he's not already there.

"Max will certainly have a great career ahead of him, he's in good hands. Of course he also needs the right materials."