Coulthard Chooses Verstappen Over Hamilton, Says Hamilton May Be Past His Peak

The former F1 driver says his verdict is based on recent form rather than career totals.

Overview

Appearing on the Red Flags podcast, David Coulthard ran a knockout ranking of Formula 1 world champions.
In a direct choice between the pair, he selected Max Verstappen over Lewis Hamilton, citing a belief that newer generations should be better and praising Verstappen’s grounded presence.
Coulthard argued Hamilton is no longer at his absolute peak, pointing to recent comparisons with George Russell and Charles Leclerc.
He highlighted the stopwatch and chequered-flag measures as decisive, saying Hamilton’s outright speed may have faded.
The final of his ranking pitted Verstappen against Ayrton Senna, with Senna chosen, and recent context noted Verstappen ended 2025 two points shy of champion Lando Norris.