Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are undoubtedly the biggest names in Formula 1 right now. The two F1 champions have dominated the sport over the past decade. Although currently, it is Verstappen who has the upper hand on the seven-time world champion after a historic run in 2023. Now, former AlphaTauri manager Graham Watson has claimed Hamilton might be the more recognizable figure of the two.

Watson pointed out that Lewis Hamilton is a massive name across the world. However, the seven-time world champion has indulged in so many activities that sometimes fans wonder if the Briton actually was an F1 driver. The 39-year-old has been part of business ventures such as clothing lines and even dated some big names such as Nicole Scherzinger.

Lewis Hamilton is very talented, but is involved in so many things that people wonder: is he a Formula 1 driver or not? – Graham Watson told Verstappen.nl

Subsequently, Graham Waston claimed that Lewis Hamilton was a brand himself while Max Verstappen’s image was completely of an F1 driver. The former team manager reckoned that the status quo is likely to remain unchanged in the future.

Lewis Hamilton is a brand, Max Verstappen is a Formula 1 driver. And that won’t change either.

The 56-year-old made it clear that Hamilton wasn’t doing anything wrong with this approach. The 39-year-old was simply less of a ‘nerd’ like Verstappen who would often be on the F1 simulator or go-karting outside of Formula 1.

I’m not saying what Hamilton is doing is wrong, but he’s not the nerd like Max. When guys like that aren’t in the car, they’re in the simulator or the kart. They are always working to improve.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen set to battle it out in 2024

Max Verstappen has dominated Formula 1 for the past two seasons courtesy of Red Bull’s pace advantage over the rest of the grid. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton has fallen behind the Dutch driver as Mercedes struggled with the ground-effect F1 regulations.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

However, the Silver Arrows are making major changes in its car concept for the upcoming season. This could potentially allow Hamilton to finally fight Max Verstappen for race wins once again. The seven-time champion last won a race in the 2021 F1 season.

Certainly, Max Verstappen remains the favorite for the 2024 championship. However, fans would be hoping to see Lewis Hamilton getting a shot against the three-time world champion. Although, it remains to be seen if Mercedes could match Red Bull in terms of pace this year.