“Max Verstappen is probably the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1” : Gerhard Berger chooses Dutchman over Lewis Hamilton as the greatest F1 driver
The debate around the greatest F1 driver of all time usually revolves around two drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. Both are tied with seven world championships each, with the German winning two with Benetton and a record five-in-a-row with Scuderia Ferrari from 2000-2004.
Although, the Briton is usually considered higher than the German when it comes to rankings, as he also has the most wins, podium finishes, pole positions and overall Grand Prix victories. Lewis Hamilton last won the championship in 2020 with Mercedes, and came agonizingly close to break the record the next year, only to be beaten by the current best driver in the world, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen.
The 26-year-old has now won three world championships in a row, and is the current favourite for this year’s as well. Verstappen is 59 points ahead of his immediate competition in McLaren’s Lando Norris, and with just six Grand Prix left for the season, it seems like the Dutchman will tie Sebastien Vettel and Alian Prost at four world championships soon.
“Neither Ayrton Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool” : Gerhard Berger believes Max Verstappen is the real deal
Ever since the Dutchman’s uprising as the best in the business, he has been compared to Lewis Hamilton. For many, the Briton is the benchmark when it comes to F1 greats, but recently, another F1 icon Gerhard Berger, made a surprising statement on who he believes is the absolute best.
“He thinks through where you can overtake and where you can’t. Neither (Ayrton) 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,” said the Austrian, speaking with Auto Motor und Sport.
As true as the 65-year-old’s comments may be, it would be far fetched to say that the Dutchman is already the greatest F1 driver of all time. Obviously, he possesses the tools to become the best, but has a long way ahead to catch up with the likes of Hamilton and Schumacher; and if we look stats wise, he is currently nowhere near the best of the duo.
But age can play a major factor for Verstappen to be considered the ‘GOAT’, as he is only 26 years old and already on his way of capturing his fourth world title. If he can keep up with the same consistency for the rest of his career, we may very well see the first F1 driver with double digit championships to his name.
