Günther Steiner identifies the driver who, in his opinion, is the only one in Formula 1 truly bigger than his team. While recent discussions have primarily revolved around Max Verstappen, and the persistent rumors of the Dutchman’s potential move to Mercedes, the former Haas team boss doesn’t believe the four-time world champion meets the criteria to be larger than his team, Red Bull.
With four titles and 65 Grand Prix victories to his name, Max Verstappen is now a well-established figure within Formula 1. Rumors about the Dutchman’s future have also been gripping the paddock for quite some time. However, according to former team boss Günther Steiner, Verstappen is not the driver who is bigger than his team.
Hamilton
“I think there is only one person in Formula 1 who is bigger than his team, and that is Lewis Hamilton,” Steiner explains in the Business of Sport podcast. “His presence, his status, they are also very large outside the sport. And that’s what it ultimately comes down to. You can be great within the sport, but if you are also great outside the sport, then you are bigger than the team itself. It’s the same in football. In Formula 1, only Lewis really meets those requirements.”
According to Steiner, the Verstappen brand is not bigger than the Red Bull brand, while that is the case with Hamilton. “Max is great within the sport, but not outside of it. He is not working on establishing himself outside the sport, because his whole life revolves around racing,” the Italian explains. “While Lewis has other goals in his life. We see this now also in his collaboration with Ferrari. They are both big brands, and sometimes that almost causes conflicts: who is bigger, Ferrari or Lewis?”
One of Hamilton’s passions outside of Formula 1 is fashion. The seven-time world champion collaborates with fashion house Dior on an exclusive clothing line. Steiner believes that the Hamilton brand outside of Formula 1 contributes to the occasional friction between the Brit and Ferrari.
