'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Four-time F1 champion Alain Prost has deemed the value of Max Verstappen's championship wins lesser than his and Ayrton Senna's.
Max Verstappen's rise to the pinnacle of Formula 1 has been nothing short of spectacular. The Red Bull ace rose to prominence after his stint with Toro Rosso (now RB), before moving to Red Bull and ending Mercedes' and Lewis Hamilton's era of F1 dominance.
After a cinematic neck-to-neck battle with Hamilton in 2021, Verstappen was crowned the world champion for the first time. The Dutchman has since gone on to clinch two more titles.
Max Verstappen won 15 of 22 races to bag his second world title and a record-breaking 19 of 22 races last season to complete a three-peat.
However, Verstappen and Red Bull both sweeping the competition and winning the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships with virtually no competition has led many to downplay the impact of their victories.
Alain Prost, a four-time F1 Drivers' champion and late driver Ayrton Senna's teammate-cum-rival, recently shared his thoughts on the matter with Sports Illustrated. When asked about the impact of Verstappen's dominance over the sport's fanbase, he replied:
"I think that if you have a fight for a championship with two or three different teams, the value of the winning driver is always better. But, it’s always a difficult thing because, for example, Max is one of the best drivers today.
"If you look at the perception that people can have – he’s winning because of this car, so in fact, it’s not as good for himself, which is a shame, because I think he’s really part of the success."
Comparing Verstappen's wins to his or his legendary rival Ayrton Senna's, Prost added:
"It’s different. I mean the fight with Ayrton was also because we were team-mates for two years and our rivalry went after our team-mate period, so it’s very different."
What do Max Verstappen, Ayrton Senna, and Alain Prost have in common? Franz Tost answers
Racing Bull's former team principal Franz Tost recently revealed the commonality he has noticed between racing icons like Senna, Prost and the modern-day greatMax Verstappen.
Tost highlighted the rigorous off-track preparation undertaken by these drivers, collaborating closely with engineers to optimize their performance.
He identified Verstappen as a prime example of this ethos, alongside other modern-day stars like Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. He recently told GP Blog:
"Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz or Pierre Gasly are hard workers. Michael (Schumacher) and co always knew how to improve and what their teammate's weakness was."
Comparing this characteristic of these drivers to the legends of the past, Tost added:
"That's what Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen all have in common."
This season, Verstappen has 77 points to lead the' standings with three wins in four races. His teammate Sergio Perez, with 64 points and three podium finishes, is P2.
