Lewis Hamilton has been brutally snubbed as former Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella names the only driver on the same level as legend Michael Schumacher.
Schumacher is widely regarded as the greatest driver in F1 history after dominating the sport for years during his time with Ferrari.
The German got his hands on seven world titles on his way to greatness.
Hamilton meanwhile has also matched Schumacher’s seven titles as he looked untouchable over the last decade at Mercedes.
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However, despite Hamilton’s achievements, he has been snubbed by Fisichella, who believes Max Verstappen is the only one able to match Schumacher.
He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “I raced against Schumacher, when he won everything with Ferrari, and I think there was no one as strong as Michael in race management.
“He remains number one to this day. But if we talk about driving talent, Max Verstappen is on the same level. I fear that Max is destined to dominate for a long time, if the union with Red Bull remains so strong.
“At the beginning he was crashing, he made a few mistakes due to inexperience, whereas now he hardly ever makes mistakes.”
Fisichella further snubbed Hamilton when talking about which driver is the closest to Verstappen in terms of skills.
He added: “If we talk about precocity, considering what he has done and is doing at his age, he is even ahead of the greats of the past who preceded him.
“Only Charles Leclerc can be compared to him in this respect. And in any case, a driver like Verstappen is born once every 20 years.”
The 2023 season has again been a disappointment for Hamilton and Mercedes as they have so far failed to get anywhere near the front of the grid.
After winning last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen proved he is the man to beat once again as he extended his lead at the top of the standings.
Topics: Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Michael Schumacher
Marcus Chan