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Eddie Jordan, ex-owner of the Jordan Grand Prix F1 team, recently claimed that Max Verstappen could beat Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher's world title records. He also mentioned how Lewis Hamilton would have to hurry if he wanted to win his eighth title before retirement.
It is clear that Verstappen is by far the strongest driver on the current F1 grid. Speaking on the Formula for Success podcast alongside former F1 driver David Coulthard, Jordan speculated that Max Verstappen could win 10 world championships. He pointed out that the Dutchman's age and talent will massively work in his favor. Jordan said:
“If everything stays well with Max, and I’m hoping that it will mentally and physically and everything to do with the car, Max is gonna hit 10 World Championships. Because he’s that young and that good. How fast is he? He’s just ridiculous. I think Lewis needs to get on his bike and hurry up and get number eight because it’s soon to be passed up by Max.”
Though it feels like the 2023 F1 championship is already in Red Bull and Max Verstappen's bags, both are not taking the rest of the field for granted. Aston Martin is a surprise contender that has emerged from the midfield, and other established top teams like Mercedes and Ferrari could also bounce back.
Despite all this, it is safe to say that Verstappen will win more world titles before hanging up his boots. Only time will tell how many of them he can win. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, is racing against time to try and clinch his record-breaking 8th world title. At 38-year-old, Hamilton is nearing the end of his racing career and will have to find a way to surpass the Red Bulls if he wants to have a chance at the title.
Former F1 driver impressed by Sergio Perez beating Max Verstappen in the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP
Sergio Perez recently won the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP by beating his teammate Max Verstappen. The Mexican drove exceptionally well and kept a consistent gap between himself and the reigning world champion. Former F1 driver Emerson Fittipaldi praised Checo for his drive. Speaking to Motorsport.com, he said:
"I think Checo has shown in Jeddah that he has the speed. At a certain point in the race, when Max was second and Checo was in the lead, Max tried to close the gap. But he did not succeed, because Checo was able to set a good pace. He showed himself to be a fast and tough racer at that time. I think he's a good driver. He is very mature and very experienced. It would be great for the fans to see those two fight for the championship."
It will be fascinating to see how Sergio Perez fares in the rest of the races in the 2023 F1 season and whether he will be able to compete with his teammate and put up a fight for the title.
