“Just like Michael & Ayrton”: Max Verstappen put in elite company by former F1 driver

Former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese compared Max Verstappen to legends such as Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna for his ability to extract performance from less dominant cars. He claimed that Verstappen can win with non-winning cars, a trait he previously saw in Schumacher.

After winning four back-to-back championships from 2021 to 2024, Verstappen is facing a challenging season in 2025 as McLaren's MCL39 is faster and more stable compared to Red Bull's RB21.

Regardless of the pace gap, Verstappen did win in Japan and Imola. With 155 points in the first 10 races, the Dutchman is still active in the title race.

Meanwhile, former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese rated Verstappen highly and placed him in the league of legends, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. Patrese explained that only a few extraordinary individuals can make a huge difference with their skill set, even without having the best car.

''He is one of those champions whom I would place in a ‘Superleague,’ where they can make a difference, even without a winning car. At the moment, he doesn't have the best car, but you can always see the danger that he's going to win races. That's what I mean; he can make a difference, just like Michael could and like Ayrton did during my career," Patrese said (via GP Blog).

The ex-Williams driver further added that back in his early days at Ferrari, Schumacher fought against Williams, who had much better-performing and faster cars. And in this generation, Max Verstappen is that kind of driver.

"I sometimes saw Michael and Ayrton in a car that wasn't dominant, but they managed to achieve pole position, win, and even try to fight for the championship'. That was in Michael's early days at Ferrari. He fought with Villeneuve, who was in a much better Williams, for the championship. And Verstappen is the only one I currently see performing at that level," he added.

Verstappen, at 27, is widely recognised as one of the best talents produced from F1's new generation.

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Helmut Marko makes a big prediction on Max Verstappen's title hopes

Max Verstappen with Helmut Marko at the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico - Practice - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen's fifth title quest is hanging by a thread as McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are advancing with every passing race. Moreover, to close down the gap, Red Bull will reportedly bring upgrades to Austria and Silverstone.

According to senior advisor Helmut Marko, the performance of these two upgrades will determine if Max Verstappen can still fight for the title. Talking to Kleine Zeitung, Marko said (via GP Blog):

"We have an update for Austria, which will be refined for Silverstone. But if it doesn't work, then it will be very difficult in the world championship. As if it isn't hard enough at this moment. At a certain point, we will have to say, 'This is it in terms of development."

Marko added that the budget cap has also restricted the team, and by the Belgium GP, the team will take a call on whether to shift focus to 2026, where new engine regulations will come into effect.