Verstappen has firmly established himself as one of Formula 1’s all-time greats. At just 28 years old, the Dutch sensation has already claimed four world championships and more than 70 Grand Prix victories, placing him among the sport’s all-time greats, alongside legends such as Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

However, according to F1 pundit and former Williams and Ferrari boss, Peter Windsor, Verstappen and Hamilton approach racing in fundamentally different ways, differences that would have been amplified if Verstappen had joined Ferrari.

 

 

Verstappen’s ruthless edge

Verstappen made his F1 debut in 2015 and quickly demonstrated an extraordinary combination of speed, racecraft and mental toughness. Over the years, he has consistently outperformed his teammates, often with ruthless efficiency. Windsor argues that Hamilton has struggled to display this level of dominance in certain contexts, particularly during his time with Ferrari.

“If Max went to a team, you can’t imagine him being completely blown away by Charles Leclerc,” Windsor told Cameron Cc. “Max would never allow that to happen, whereas Lewis did.”

The point Windsor makes is simple: Verstappen rarely shows weakness. While Hamilton has been dominant throughout his career, there have been moments when he has had to concede superiority to teammates, particularly at Ferrari in 2025. By contrast, Verstappen is known for his relentless drive to assert himself in any team environment.

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Championship Battles and Mental Fortitude

The rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton reached its peak in the unforgettable 2021 season. The two titans battled wheel-to-wheel for the world championship that year, with Verstappen dramatically overtaking on the final lap of the last race of the season. Windsor believes that moments like this exemplify the difference in mindset between the two drivers.

“Lewis has weaknesses that Max doesn’t really have,” Windsor explains. “Max is incredibly focused and aggressive when necessary, and he doesn’t allow himself to be psychologically outmanoeuvred by rivals or teammates.”

This ruthless approach has not only allowed Verstappen to amass an impressive collection of trophies, but also to build a reputation as one of the most formidable drivers on the grid. This is why Windsor believes that if Verstappen had moved to Ferrari, the team’s dynamics would have been very different.

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Red Bull in 2026: A Changing Landscape

Looking ahead to 2026, Verstappen will once again chase another world title with Red Bull, but the team landscape has changed dramatically. Long-standing figures such as Helmut Marko and Christian Horner have left, leaving the team in a state of transition. Windsor weighs in on how these changes might affect Verstappen and his championship ambitions.

“Marko did everything he could to get Max into the car, so there’s a lot of loyalty there,” he says. Despite Horner’s departure, Verstappen’s relationships with key figures within the team remain strong.

There have also been rumours that Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer, may leave Red Bull. However, Windsor doubts that this would have a significant impact.

“I would be very surprised if he left. It looks like he and Max have a very good relationship. If he wants to take on a role closer to home, that’s understandable, but they will still work together and communicate. Max will want that continuity.”

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The Verstappen Advantage

Verstappen’s combination of talent, psychological strength and strategic aggression sets him apart from even the most accomplished drivers in the sport.

Windsor’s assessment highlights just how different he is from Hamilton, particularly in situations involving team dynamics. While Hamilton has sometimes had to adjust his approach to teammates, Verstappen’s track record suggests that he would never allow himself to be overshadowed, no matter the team or the circumstances.

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NEXT ARTICLE – FIA plans to reduce the power of the manufacturers

There is grave concern at the FIA over how the all new 2026 Formula One power units will perform. In a desperate bid to prevent an epic failure in the racing spectacle, F1’s governing body convened an emergency meeting with the manufacturers in Bahrain to correct the ‘over optimistic’ power output from the hybrid side of the new engines.

Concerns were first raised by Christian Horner in 2023 that the all new specification of power units would create “Frankenstein monsters” due to an over reliance on electrical output. Almost two years later the FIA’s pow wow in Bahrain sought to address this issue.

The problem is that at a number of circuits where braking is limited and the straights are long, that the cars will be incapable of generating enough electrical charge to deliver the mandated 50% of power output.

 

Concerns electrical output overstated

This would result in cars ruing out of electrical charge towards the end of the straights, visibly slowing the cars as they approached the next turn. The spectacle could be disastrous for the fans and the series would descend into farce.

Yet any reduction in the amount of electrical output had to be agreed by all but one of the PU manufacturers and such agreement could not be found. The result was both the FIA and FOM issuing statements suggesting the current F1 power cycle could be truncated and a return to V*’s introduced before even 2030.

Foiled by their attempt to introduce what would be a mere software adjustment for all the teams, the FIA issued a dictate in August which outlined how they would prevent F1 becoming a farce or dominated by a single manufacturer who has aced the new PU regulations.

FIA director of day to day operations, Nicolas Tombazis revealed: “We’ve introduced a…READ MORE ON THIS STORY