Credits: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Lewis Hamilton is undoubtedly one of the faces of F1 because of his longstanding consistency of achievements in the sport. While the seven-time champion has regressed in form over the past two years, few can deny his legendary status. However, AlphaTauri team manager Graham Watson recently claimed that the Briton’s arch-rival, Max Verstappen, has instead “single-handedly saved Formula 1”.

According to PlanetF1, Watson told Verstappen.com how the three-time champion has brought a new audience to the sport. Meanwhile, Hamilton has become a “brand” and has his image under the limelight for many things besides his F1 endeavors.

Watson added, “Lewis Hamilton is very talented, but is involved in so many things that people wonder: is he a Formula 1 driver or not? He’s associated with so many other things. Lewis Hamilton is a brand. Max Verstappen is a Formula 1 driver. And that won’t change.”

Watson’s point of view is factually correct, given Hamilton’s scope of presence in non-F1 industries. Other than his involvement in F1, the Mercedes driver also has an interest in fashion, entertainment, and socio-cultural causes.

While the AlphaTauri manager doesn’t feel Hamilton is doing anything wrong, he believes that Verstappen is more of the racing icon due to his nerdy focus towards just F1. However, Watson’s claim is too subjective.

While Hamilton has far more interests than just F1, he yet continues to be the most successful driver of all time in the sport. As for Verstappen, there is no doubt that he is the best driver on the current grid, but he does have a long way to go before he can come anywhere close to the Briton’s records.

However, one reason why Verstappen can be considered one of the most passionate racers is because his off-track projects are also directly relevant to motorsport. For instance, his interest in setting up a GT racing team. Meanwhile, Hamilton is pushing at enablement through a different channel.

How is Lewis Hamilton benefitting F1 due to him being a “brand” off-track?

Lewis Hamilton has become a larger-than-life personality in F1. It is difficult to imagine the sport without his presence, whenever he decides to hang up his racing boots. While Graham Watson deemed the Briton as more of a “brand”, it is this brand-like image that is benefitting F1 in a lot of ways than one may think.

Besides winning races and championships with ease, Hamilton has contributed a lot to several fields of his interest. His efforts for socio-cultural change have had a substantial impact on stimulating changes in society.

Naturally, the #44 driver has become this role model figure for aspiring athletes, teaching them how to be humble and not give up on their dreams. Hamilton’s story of struggle to reach his champion status is nothing short of inspirational.

It all counts to inspire young racing drivers to try to get into F1 and motorsport and positively influence them. At the same time, his philanthropy via projects like Mission 44 is a huge evidence of tangible efforts for bringing progress to children’s education and empowerment.

That’s not it as his interest in cinema is also bringing a wider range of audiences to F1. In the recent past, several famous personalities from Hollywood have made their presence felt in the F1 paddocks.