Hamilton given Verstappen awakening: 'He can't keep up with Max'

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has suggested he would only select two drivers to take on Max Verstappen for the World Championship - with neither Lewis Hamilton nor Fernando Alonso included.

Verstappen has dominated the sport across the past two seasons, securing two consecutive record-breaking tallies of wins with 15 in 2022 and 17 last season as he picked up his second and third Drivers' titles.

The Dutchman's imperious form has seen him win despite eliminations during qualifying, with only Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz stopping him last season - as well as McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the Qatar Sprint.

Speaking to F1 Insider, Jordan compared Verstappen to two legends of the sport, explaining: "I have experienced a lot over the years.

"In the first test with Michael Schumacher, it was already clear that he was going to be Ayrton Senna's challenger. He was so fast right away that we thought the stopwatch was broken.

"I also worked with Heinz-Harald Frentzen, a driver who, for me, is still the most underrated F1 driver ever. He was a natural talent. For me, however, Max Verstappen is a mix of Senna and Schumacher."

No Hamilton in Jordan's dream team

With Verstappen's talent rated so highly by Jordan, he insists that only two drivers on the current grid would make his line-up if tasked with taking on the Red Bull driver, though seven-time champion Hamilton and two-time title-winner Alonso are omitted from his selection.

"I see only one challenger [for Verstappen]: Charles Leclerc," claimed Jordan.

"Ferrari must build a car of the level of Red Bull. Otherwise, I don't foresee much excitement. If I had to build a top team and Max was not available, there would only be one duo that could take him: Leclerc with Lando Norris as a teammate.

"I no longer believe that Hamilton and Alonso, both deserved champions, can keep up with Verstappen because of their age."