Recent history refutes Lewis Hamilton's claims that 'Red Bull is the fastest' car

After the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton now-famously said that Max Verstappen's Red Bull F1 car is the fastest he's ever seen in the sport.

"I have definitely never seen a car so fast," Hamilton said after the race, reflecting on Verstappen passing him en route to finishing second behind teammate Sergio Perez.

"When we were fast, we were not that fast. It is the fastest car I have seen, especially compared to the rest. I don't know how, but he [Verstappen] came past me with some serious speed, and I didn't even bother to block him because there was a massive speed difference."

While Hamilton has a point in his reflection on Red Bull's speed in 2023, the RB19 is not the quickest car to ever grace an F1 season.

That honour belongs to the most successful driver in the sport's turbo-hybrid era: Sir Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes-AMG.

Here's why.

But first, Hamilton's blistering pace

In 2020, Hamilton and Mercedes took to the season in the team's new car, the W11. It was a machine of a car and propelled the Brit to a record-equalling seventh F1 driver's championship and 11 wins that season.

Though his number of victories in one season had fallen short of what was then the record 13 wins held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel (it was smashed by Verstappen in 2022 with 15 wins) it was still monumental, and it underlined the sheer dominance the team enjoyed throughout that year.

And it was not just in 2020, but throughout the new era that began in 2014.

READ: 2008 Singapore GP bombshell: Hamilton's maiden title threatened as Massa seeks legal action

It is also why Fernando Alonso could not help himself when he called out Hamilton on his comments over Red Bull's RB19.

"I don't agree at all," the 2005 and