Max Verstappen reveals his top five all-time greatest drivers, featuring a mix of familiar and surprising names. The world champion holds one driver in particularly high esteem.
With three world titles and sixty victories to his name, Max Verstappen can now be considered one of the greats of Formula 1. When asked in Canada who he would rank as the best drivers of all time, Verstappen responded cautiously. “I’d go for Michael [Schumacher], probably also Ayrton [Senna], Fernando [Alonso], Lewis [Hamilton], and [Juan Manuel] Fangio. The usual suspects,” the world champion told Spanish outlet DAZN.
Verstappen’s Admiration for Fellow Racers Hamilton and Alonso
Hamilton and Alonso, along with Verstappen, make up the current grid. Verstappen, however, has a better rapport with the Spaniard than with the Brit. “He has been very successful, but remains passionate about racing,” Verstappen cites as the reason for his admiration of Alonso. “He’s a normal, nice guy, and I appreciate that. He’s generally also very happy when another driver does well.”
Alonso’s Continued Presence in F1 Despite His Age
Verstappen’s admiration for the Spaniard started early, and the Limburger even used to specifically turn on the TV when Alonso was racing. The two drivers also share a great love for the sport. “He loves racing and I love racing. He even a bit more than me, because he’s still in F1 at his age [42],” laughs the Red Bull driver.
Alonso managed to win the driver’s title in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, greatly increasing the popularity of Formula 1 in his home country of Spain. Verstappen sees similarities here with his own popularity in the Netherlands. “I think he was the first Spanish F1 driver who made the sport big in Spain,” Verstappen explains. “For me, it’s a bit the same in the Netherlands.”
