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      01-09-2021, 05:18 AM   #259
SenorFunkyPants
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Verstappen in the Mercedes might be as fast as Hamilton on a single lap...I don't think he would be but for the sake of argument lets say its true.
If they were Merc team mates and given exactly the same equipment and identical pits/tyre strategies (as Bottas is) then at the end of a season all else being equal Hamilton would be ahead on every metric.
For these reasons:
Hamilton is innately the more talented natural driver (see his rookie year).
Hamilton makes almost no mistakes while Verstappen makes many (see any year)
Hamilton is a far better driver in the wet. (see most wet races)
Hamilton is a smarter racer. (see every race).

The 2020 Turkey race perfectly demonstrated every single one of the above.
While Verstappen (with a seconds per lap car advantage) was stamping on the throttle, spinning and sliding through turns and then riding up onto the wet kerbs to lose even more time through wheelspin...Hamilton maximised the grip he had while keeping his tyres alive and made the best lap times his Merc could manage. He took the opportunities as they occurred and won a race that should have been a slam dunk for Verstappen.

And no Verstappen didn't run a lower downforce set up than Mercedes (although Albon got screwed with one at most races)...corner speed comparisons show Verstappen faster in slow and medium speed corners while the Mercedes having the edge in the faster turns.
Neither did the Mercedes have a top speed advantage....even a cursory glance at the maximum speed statistics for 2020 would confirm this.

Last edited by SenorFunkyPants; 01-09-2021 at 07:05 AM..
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