Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in equal machinery would fail to beat Max Verstappen in Formula 1, one Le Mans class winner believes. Verstappen has become the dominant force in Grand Prix racing since 2021, winning 31 races since the beginning of his first title winning year, and is set for his third crown in '23 after winning six of the first eight races. Both Alonso and Hamilton have been lauded as the drivers most likely to beat Verstappen, but currently do not have the machinery to race Red Bull, with Aston Martin and Mercedes squabbling over second in the Constructors'. But even if the World Champions were given equipment with which they could fight Verstappen, 2021 Le Mans LMP2 winner Ferdinand Habsburg believes both could not beat the Dutchman.
Verstappen unbeatable?
Habsburg - who but for history might have found himself on the throne of Austria as great-grandson of Charles I who was the last King of Austria - is a former junior single-seater racer who turned to Sportscars, claiming the 2021 LMP2 title in the World Endurance Championship. During his Euro Formula 3 days in 2017, he raced against the likes of Lando Norris, Zhou Guanyu and Mick Schumacher, and has since become a TV pundit for Austrian coverage of F1, while also launching a fan-funded scheme - the Rebel Team - to give young drivers a chance at competing in series such as FIA F3, LMGT3 or LMP2 in the European Le Mans Series. "I'm going to say no, mainly because we're not Olympic sprinters or Olympic swimmers, we're racing drivers, which means that our sport 95% of it is in your head," Habsburg told select media when asked by RacingNews365 if Alonso or Hamilton could beat Verstappen in equal machinery. "Physically, you have to be in good shape, but really if your head is good, you're going to be quick, and a racing car requires the driver to be extremely confident. "Sometimes that goes hand in hand, if you've got a good car, you get extremely confident, if you've got a bad car, you lack of confidence. "If I were to say that all three were in the same car right now with exactly how they are, I still think Max would win, because he's just got this unbelievable amount of confidence. "I still think Lewis and Fernando are super confident, but right now I would say Max is just above. "If in two years' time, the cars switch and [Alonso and Hamilton] are in a more confident car, it would kind of make some difference. "They are so close with their abilities, but right now, Max is on top."
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