Lewis Hamilton may have faced one of the most challenging periods of his Formula 1 career in recent seasons, but his reputation as one of the sport’s greatest racers remains firmly intact. Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto has become the latest member of Formula 1’s new generation to praise the seven-time world champion, arguing that no current driver performs better once the lights go out on Sunday.
During an interview with Mundo Deportivo, the Brazilian was asked to create his perfect Formula 1 driver by selecting the strongest qualities from the current grid. While several world champions featured prominently in his choices, Lewis Hamilton stood above everyone else when it came to race craft.
Gabriel Bortoleto believes Lewis Hamilton remains the benchmark in Grand Prix racing
Gabriel Bortoleto’s opinion carries particular weight given the relationships he has built throughout the Formula 1 paddock. Before joining Audi, the Brazilian was a member of McLaren’s young driver programme, where he had the opportunity to work alongside Lando Norris. He is also managed by A14 Management, the company founded by Fernando Alonso, while maintaining a close friendship with Max Verstappen.
Despite those connections, Gabriel Bortoleto concluded that Lewis Hamilton remains the strongest competitor on Sundays. Rather than focusing on outright qualifying pace, he highlighted the Ferrari driver’s ability to manage races, execute strategy and consistently extract the maximum possible result over a Grand Prix distance.
According to the Brazilian, the seven-time world champion continues to demonstrate exceptional race management and remains one of the most complete competitors once the Grand Prix begins.
Lewis Hamilton’s race performances continue to back up that reputation
Gabriel Bortoleto’s comments come despite Lewis Hamilton enduring a difficult start to life at Ferrari in 2025 before the Scuderia’s turnaround gathered momentum. However, the British driver has enjoyed a much stronger 2026 campaign, already claiming his first victory in Ferrari colours in Barcelona while adding five podium finishes in his last nine races.
Perhaps even more impressive has been the Briton’s consistency during races. Throughout the season, he has regularly gained positions compared to where he qualified, underlining his ability to maximise tyre management, race pace and strategic opportunities.
Only once has Lewis Hamilton finished lower than his starting position, dropping from third to fifth in Austria after Ferrari’s qualifying strategy was compromised by a late yellow flag. Apart from that exception, he has repeatedly converted solid starting positions into even stronger race results.
Those performances reinforce why many drivers continue to regard Lewis Hamilton as one of Formula 1’s finest Sunday specialists, even after nearly two decades at the highest level of motorsport.
Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc also receive recognition
When selecting the remaining attributes for his ideal Formula 1 driver, Gabriel Bortoleto spread his praise across several of the grid’s biggest names.
For qualifying speed, the Audi rookie believed that Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso remain among the strongest performers over a single lap. He also argued that Fernando Alonso continues to possess the highest level of racing intelligence in Formula 1, describing the two-time world champion’s understanding of race situations and decision-making as unmatched.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto chose Max Verstappen as the benchmark for overtaking ability, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc earned recognition for his defensive driving. Charles Leclerc has built a reputation for producing clean but uncompromising wheel-to-wheel battles, often forcing rivals to execute near-perfect overtakes.
Several analysts have previously observed that Max Verstappen tends to show Charles Leclerc greater respect during direct on-track battles than many other rivals, a reflection of the Monegasque driver’s precise car placement and defensive awareness.
Experience continues to define Formula 1’s elite
Although Formula 1 is welcoming an exciting generation of young talent, Gabriel Bortoleto’s selections demonstrate that experience still carries enormous value at the very top of the sport. Drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso continue to set the standard in different aspects of performance, from race execution and overtaking to qualifying speed and strategic intelligence.
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has already produced encouraging signs, with the Scuderia returning to winning ways as development of the SF-26 continues. At the same time, Max Verstappen has faced increasing frustration with Red Bull’s recent technical struggles, while Fernando Alonso has continued extracting remarkable performances despite Aston Martin’s ongoing lack of competitiveness.
For Gabriel Bortoleto, however, one conclusion stood out above all the others: when it comes to delivering over a full Grand Prix distance, Lewis Hamilton remains the driver to beat.
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