With his fourth world title, Max Verstappen joins an exclusive club. Although Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, and Juan Manual Fangio have won the world championship more often, only Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel also have four titles to their name. Both Prost and Vettel now react to the Dutchman’s achievement.
Max Verstappen’s fourth world title puts him on par with Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. “Not bad for a Dutchman,” the Red Bull driver himself previously responded to the impressive statistic. The former world champions are also pleased for the newest member of their exclusive club. “Verstappen is atypical, like many great champions,” Alain Prost praises the champion in the French L’Équipe. The Frenchman himself became world champion in 1985, 1986, 1989, and 1993.
“Being a four-time world champion is something to be proud of. And Max, looking at his career now, has plenty of reason to be proud,” Prost tips his hat to Verstappen. “He certainly didn’t steal his titles. Sometimes you have a bit of luck, as I did in 1986, but you have to be able to create and seize it. Verstappen is clearly unique in his kind. You can love him or hate him, but he leaves no one indifferent.
What Makes Verstappen Special
Vettel is also pleased that Max Verstappen now has as many championships to his name as the German. The former Red Bull driver himself became world champion four times in a row between 2010 and 2013. “He’s simply doing better than anyone else right now,” Vettel explains to German RTL. “We also keep in touch regularly, and get along well with each other. I think he’s doing well to not approach everything with brute force, but to also think about the bigger picture.”
In addition, Vettel notices that Verstappen has become both faster and more mature in the ten seasons since the Dutchman’s Formula 1 debut. “What makes him so special is that he hardly makes any mistakes. He’s there at the crucial moments, and that’s what really distinguishes true champions (from other drivers).”
