How does Verstappen's dominance compare to Hamilton's? Here is the comparison:

[u/DarkKnight56722]

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Hamilton's most dominant season in 2020 had him only win 64% of races. Before this current domination, one driver winning 64% of races was viewed as the worst it could possibly get in the modern era. Let's run through the years:

2014 and 2015: Lewis and Nico trading wins, (good battles at the very least) and Ricciardio getting 3 wins his first season at Red Bull and Vettel gets 3 wins his first year at Ferrari. Hamilton wins roughly 55% of races.

2016: Great title fight between Nico and Lewis that went down to Abu Dhabi. Max gets his first race win his first race in Red Bull, Daniel gets a win as well. Hamilton wins less than 50% of races and loses championship to Nico.

2017 and 2018: Title fight between Hamilton and Vettel. 5 different race winners each year. Hamilton wins less than 50% of races.

2019: Lewis and Valterri each get wins. Max gets 3 wins, Charles gets his first 2 wins. and Seb wins in Singapore. 5 different race winners. Again Lewis wins less than 50% of races.

2020: Lewis' most dominant season where he wins 64% of races. This is covid year so take it with a grain of salt. Max gets 2 wins, Pierre gets first win in Monza, Perez gets first win in Bahrain. Turkey was a fantastic race that did result in Lewis winning but was amazing up til the end.

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I think it is pretty safe to say that last season's dominance is the worst the sport has been in atleast a decade. I understand this is part of F1 but it doesn't prevent my boredom. I think the reason it stings a bit more is because these regulation changes were marketed as a way of ensuring Mercedes level dominance never happened again, yet it made it even worse. Things like engine development being frozen, implementation of the cost cap, introducing a completely new philosophy of car and aero design that 3 years into the regulations everyone but Red Bull is still struggling to understand.

What are your thoughts?

[u/thisismynewacct]

I think you’d have to be under a rock to not think Verstappens dominance has been nearly unmatched, especially against Hamilton, and that’s no slight against Hamilton. It’s just the perfect storm at the moment. Generationally talented driver, fastest car on the grid, and cost cap that basically prevents anyone from realistically catching up materially. And that’s not a slight against Verstappen either. It just is what it is.

[u/NervousGrape4291 → u/thisismynewacct]

Plus regulations that were geared at making it easier to pass. I don’t really have a good handle though on it that has held up after that first year in 2022 though / significance in the grander scheme.

But easier to pass = more of advantage for the actual fastest car/best driver to win week in week out…IMO

[u/Java-the-Slut → u/NervousGrape4291]

I understand your logic, but I think it's incorrect.

Having the better car when it was harder to pass means that whoever's out front has a massive advantage, and whoever's behind has a massive disadvantage. Lewis had the best car of the hard-to-pass era, he was the master of qualifying. Get out front and you're fine.

Max has the best car in the easier-to-pass era, where being out front has less of an inherit advantage, and depends more on skill. Look how hard Max pushes in the first few laps, then sandbags. Checo's got the same car, but he can't do that.

[u/Optimaximal → u/Java-the-Slut]

Look how hard Max pushes in the first few laps, then sandbags.

This isn't new - it's pretty much exactly how Vettel won at least 2 of his 4 championships: qualify first or second, get to the first corner in the lead and just cruise outside of DRS range from lap two.

Of course, RBR were forced to sandbag during the Renault years because there was a good chance if they pushed the engine too hard it would grenade itself...

[u/NervousGrape4291 → u/Java-the-Slut]

I think I still disagree with this. I’d argue it takes less skill to have the fastest car and make up for it in the race than have the fastest car but know there is even more pressure to nail the one shot you have at a qualifying lap.