Lewis Hamilton snubbed as Carlos Sainz named 'more intelligent' than Mercedes man

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been snubbed as Ferrari rival Carlos Sainz has been named ‘more intelligent’. Sainz’s victory in Singapore has masked a disappointing season which saw a run of 13 races without a podium earlier in the campaign.

Yuki Tsunoda is in his third season with Red Bull sister team AlphaTauri with Japanese engine manufacturer Honda playing a key role in extending his contract for another season. The 23-year-old has competed in 58 F1 races since making his debut in 2021 with a best performance of fourth coming in his first season.

Speaking at Festival dello Sport in Trento this week, Tsunoda opened up about his rivals on the grid. The Japanese star said that ‘the fastest’ on the grid was three-time world champion Max Verstappen.

Rumours have also linked Tsunoda with a move to Aston Martin after Honda agreed an exclusive deal with the constructor from 2026. When asked who was the ‘most intelligent’ driver on the grid? Tsunoda snubbed Hamilton and replied ‘Alonso or Sainz’.

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The Japanese star re-affirmed his admiration for Aston Martin star Alonso by naming him ‘the smartest’ driver on the grid. However, a future move to Aston Martin is far from certain and Tsunoda recently addressed the rumours.

He said: "Sometimes I hear that I would only go to the team that Honda supplies engines to. The only thing Honda has said to me is that they don't care where I go as long as a Japanese driver is successful. They support me completely in that process."