Max Verstappen has been a force to reckon with ever since he came to Formula One. Thanks to Adrian Newey and the engine partner, Honda, Red Bull has been able to provide Max with superior cars for back-to-back seasons. Last year, the Dutchman won 15 races breaking Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel’s record of 13 wins in a season.
This season saw Max Verstappen win ten Grand Prix out of 12 so far. He can very well break his own record this year and many more. Even after achieving so much while he is just 25 years old, there are some qualities that separate him from the greatest. It is what a Red Bull staff thinks about the greatness of Verstappen. Despite Max Verstappen proving that he is among the greats of the game of all time.
Red Bull Technician Feels Max Is Not As Great As Ayrton Senna
But Calum Nicholas, senior technician of the Red Bull team, feels Max cannot be greater than Ayrton Senna. On the podcast Track Limits, available on YouTube, Calum Nicholas discussed who thinks is the greatest Formula One racer ever and other aspects of the game. The Red Bull technician mentioned that simply in terms of passion and soul, it has to be the Brazilian great. Moreover, Nicholas mentioned that there is so much to admire about Ayrton Senna. Adding to that, Nicholas noted that Senna had belief and style along with an amazing character.
Formula One Grand Prix top winners:
— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) July 30, 2023
1. 🇬🇧 Lewis Hamilton – 103 wins
2. 🇩🇪 Michael Schumacher – 91 wins
3. 🇩🇪 Sebastian Vettel – 53 wins
4. 🇫🇷 Alain Prost – 51 wins
5. 🇳🇱 Max Verstappen – 45 wins
6. 🇧🇷 Ayrton Senna – 41 wins
7. 🇪🇸 Fernando Alonso – 32 wins
8. 🇬🇧 Nigel Mansell -…
However, it is not the first time experts compared Verstappen and Senna. While comparing the dynamic between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Gerhard Berger, a former F1 driver, mentioned the Dutch is in the same league as Senna. This season, Max Verstappen surpassed Ayrton Senna’s Grand Prix win tally. But it is unfair to compare both of them in terms of race wins as Senna’s life was cut short in 1994. In terms of passion, Nicholas might be right because Max Verstappen loves racing. However, he is more passionate about sim racing than F1 racing.
Max Verstappen Rose To F1 Greatness Rapidly
Compared to other drivers, the Dutch sensation had a speedy rise from the junior level to the senior. At the tender age of 17, Verstappen joined Red Bull’s sister team, Toro Rosso, to debut in Formula One. It did not take much time for the Dutch kid to impress the fans and Red Bull management. In fact, Helmut Marko brought Verstappen to Toro Rosso. Even Mercedes expressed interest in the Dutch kid back in 2014. But Red Bull managed to sign with Verstappen.
The Dutchman’s father, Jos Verstappen, has been a tremendous driving force for the kid. The ruthless attitude to win Max gets that from his father. It helped him rise through the ranks, but he had to wait a while to get his first taste of championship success. Finally, in 2021, Mercedes, with the weakest car of their dominant era, failed to help Lewis Hamilton win his eighth world championship. On the other hand, Max Verstappen won his first-ever Driver’s World Championship. Since then, he has dominated the grid-like no other driver in history.