Ex-world champion serves DAMNING criticism of Hamilton in Verstappen comparison

Lewis Hamilton

Ex-world champion serves DAMNING criticism of Hamilton in Verstappen comparison

There is one thing Verstappen has managed that Hamilton could never do in his prime

Joe Ellis

Monday 3 July 2023 09:57

Jacques Villeneuve has simultaneously criticised Lewis Hamilton and bigger up Max Verstappen with his assessment of the rivals.

The 1997 F1 world champion has been far from impressed with the seven-time world champion this season despite him challenging for third in the standings with Fernando Alonso.

Villeneuve, the son of former Ferrari F1 driver Gilles Villeneuve, also believes that Verstappen is much closer to 'perfect' than Hamilton has ever been given his current run of results.

Article continues under video

The Red Bull driver won his fifth race in succession at the Austrian Grand Prix while Hamilton laboured to seventh in his Mercedes, which was nursing a small brake issue for much of the event.

Jacques Villeneuve has been racing in the World Endurance Championship this season for Floyd Vanwall

Up and down

"He goes a lot up and down in performance, it depends on the weekends," Villeneuve said to Gazzetta Dello Sport.

"But it's always been like this, in all seasons, even when he won. He's never had a year as perfect as Verstappen."

In the nine races so far this season, Verstappen has won seven of them and come home right behind his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in the other two.

In fact, the Dutchman has more points on his own than any other manufacturer in the standings does between both of their drivers.