Jacques Villeneuve is unequivocal: Max Verstappen is the man of the moment. The former world champion sees in the Dutchman not only the best driver on the field, but also predicts that he will become the world champion this year: “This will be his best world title ever.”
Despite being 63 points behind World Championship leader Oscar Piastri, Villeneuve firmly believes in a new title for Verstappen. With six race weekends left in 2025, he faces a significant challenge to secure his fifth world title. But if Villeneuve has his way, the Dutchman will do just that. “This will be Verstappen’s best championship ever,” he asserts during the Festival dello Sport di Trento 2025. “The two McLaren drivers – Norris and Piastri – they will crumble under the pressure.”
Old-fashioned and brilliant
When the conversation shifts to the question of who is the fastest on pure speed over one lap, Villeneuve does not hesitate. “Max. No discussion. He is the best – also because he is a bit old-fashioned.” By this, Villeneuve is referring to Verstappen’s ability to not only be incredibly fast, but also to provide sharp, substantive feedback to his team – something he believes has become increasingly rare in modern Formula 1.
“Of course Verstappen is good on the simulator, he even races on it enthusiastically. But on the track, he is just as strong,” Villeneuve states. “During training, he immediately understands what is going on. He then tells the engineers what needs to be adjusted – sometimes even when the data suggests otherwise. And very often, he turns out to be right. No one else does that. Why not? Very simple: they are just not as good as he is.”
