2024-01-31 07:08:10
The numbers are impressive. At the age of 26, Max Verstappen has already won three world championship titles, and with his 54 race victories he is already third in Formula 1 history.
In 2023 he left behind Ayrton Senna, who has 41 successes. Is he then automatically “better” than the unforgettable Brazilian?
The discussion about who is the best driver in the history of Formula 1 has been going on passionately for decades, and everyone brings their own opinions and arguments.
Michael sSchumacher? Lewis Hamilton? Ayrton Senna? Juan Manuel Fangio? And where is the current champion Verstappen in the rankings?
Fun fact: Verstappen doesn’t even have these discussions. “I’ve already achieved more than I could ever dream of. I don’t really think about where I stand in terms of titles or victories between all the all-time greats of our sport,” Verstappen once said on Racer.
Verstappen said he was never really a guy who particularly liked statistics: “I always want to come out of a race weekend and be able to say that I gave it my all, because then I’m happy,” said Verstappen.
The discussions are usually led by others. Legend Gerhard Berger always stood by Senna as the best driver, “because I drove with and against Ayrton Senna, I usually put him first,” said Berger at auto motor und sport.
But that’s where the question begins: How do you evaluate something like that, says Berger. “Actually, it only works with facts or figures. And you have to put Michael Schumacher first. Senna impressed with his talent and supernatural abilities in the car. But now, with Max Verstappen, we have one, so I doubt whether my old rating is still correct.
Berger praises: “Max didn’t make a mistake last season. At least that happened to Senna every now and then. At the time, Senna and Schumacher benefited from racing karts from an early age and doing nothing else in life other than racing. This applies to all drivers today. But Verstappen still drives virtual races on the simulator in his free time. Sometimes three a day. So he is always busy with this topic. He thinks through where you can overtake and where you can’t. Neither Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool. It’s just noticeable that Max is always in the right place. At the start, in the first corner, in a duel. I can’t think of anything that could be done better than him. That’s why Max Verstappen is probably the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1.”
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