Real Madrid's Karim Benzema said "don't confuse Formula One with karting" as the exiled French striker dismissed comparisons to countryman Olivier Giroud.

Benzema has not played for France since October 2015 – head coach Didier Deschamps refusing to call up the Madrid star, instead turning to Chelsea's Giroud.

Asked about the comparisons with Giroud, Benzema used a motorsport analogy to shoot down the question via social media.

"Don't confuse Formula One with karting," the 31-year-old said on Instagram Live. "Next… I know that I am Formula 1.

"He has his career, he does what he wants, scores the goals he wants. He is in his lane, I am in my lane, I don't think about him.

"Aside from that, his style of play suits the French national team well. It works because he is there, that is the only reason. 

"He is good because there are players like Mbappé or Griezmann who are fast and who play in the channels and pivot around the centre-forward. Him, up top, he weighs on defences, which allows the two others to move a lot and show a lot. He blocks and it works. 

"It won’t be spectacular, he won’t do something amazing, but he has his thing. Aside from that, does everyone like how he plays? I don’t know. But it works well for the French national team."

Benzema has scored 27 goals in 81 international appearances for France, while Giroud is third on the all-time list with 39 from 97 matches.

Prior to coronavirus postponing the likes of LaLiga, the Premier League and Euro 2020, Benzema had scored 19 goals across all competitions for Zinedine Zidane's Madrid in 2019-20.