Nico Rosberg believes Lewis Hamilton is the only driver who can beat Max Verstappen in the same car at a competitive level. The 2016 world champion believes the Dutchman has ousted his teammates in terms of talent and has become unstoppable.
Speaking to Sport 1 Germany, the 2016 world champion said:
“Max Verstappen is simply a brilliant driver. That is of course the one you can best measure yourself against. And his current and previous team-mates are no jerks of course. Think of Gasly, Perez and all the others. They don’t even reach half of Max’s level. Perez had last year a few moments when he was a bit close, but for the rest he was more in no man’s land compared to Verstappen.” “Fifteen victories in one season is incredible. He is now the man to beat in Formula 1. By the way, I would say that only Hamilton would act at eye level, so at about the same level, if he were in the same car. But what Verstappen is currently showing is insane.” Max Verstappen with 35 wins and 20 pole positions is the driver with highest wins to poles ratio (among drivers with at least 10 of each) in #f1 history – 175%
Lewis Hamilton having highest number of both is also only one with exact same numbers of wins & poles 
#Formula1
Max Verstappen with 35 wins and 20 pole positions is the driver with highest wins to poles ratio (among drivers with at least 10 of each) in #f1 history – 175%
Lewis Hamilton having highest number of both is also only one with exact same numbers of wins & poles
#Formula1 https://t.co/g2auE7pjtu
Comparing the current two-time world champion to Hamilton, Rosberg feels the Briton is the only driver who can match the Dutchman’s competitive form. The former Mercedes driver noted that Verstappen’s teammates over the years have barely matched him in the same car despite being competitive drivers . After a dominating season with 15 victories and tumbling records around the globe, the 2016 world champion believes the Dutchman has become the talent to beat on the grid.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has had a similarly dominant streak in the past and has only been beaten by two teammates, namely Jensen Button and Rosberg himself. However, in 2022, the Brit was beaten by compatriot George Russell and completed his first season in his career without a pole or win.
Christian Horner prefers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at a distance on the track
Christian Horner prefers Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at a distance on the track. Speaking to TalkSport, the Red Bull Racing team CEO stated his desire to see the two world champions remain at a distance from each other while racing or in race conditions.
While the feisty duo did not have too many opportunities to clash on track, the two inevitably had one clash in Brazil which compromised the Dutchman’s race and thwarted the Briton’s chances to win.
Asked if he would like to see on-track battles between Hamilton and Verstappen, Horner said:
“No, not really. I prefer it when there’s much more space between the two of them!”
2022 was a struggle for Lewis Hamilton and spent most of the season well behind in the title fight. He went toe-to-toe with Verstappen only once, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The pair came together early in the race, which resulted in Hamilton dropping to eighth and sending Verstappen to the pits for a new front wing.
Despite the tough year, the Brit did manage to find a place on the podium nine times. With a better car in 2023, he will be well-placed to challenge Verstappen and Red Bull once again.
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