Gerhard Berger, a 10-time Grand Prix winner, believes that his former McLaren team-mate Ayrton Senna and reigning world champion Max Verstappen are the two best drivers he has witnessed during his time watching F1. The 64-year-old ranked the pair above the iconic duo of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
In 2023, Verstappen put together arguably the most impressive individual season in F1 history, winning 19 out of a possible 22 Grands Prix as he romped to a third successive World Championship by an unprecedented margin of 290 points.
His incredible win tally means that despite being just 26 years of age, Verstappen now sits third in the all-time list for the most Grand Prix victories with a total of 54, leaving him narrowly clear of Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost. Only Schumacher (91) and Hamilton (103) have recorded more during their careers.
Senna, meanwhile, won three Drivers’ Championship titles in the span of four years between 1988 and 1991 while also finishing second in 1989 and 1993. Tragically, at the age of just 34 and with years of his prime remaining, the iconic Brazilian was killed following a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
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Speaking to Austrian news outlet Kronen Zeitung, Berger explained: “Verstappen and Senna are unique in the business. They are the two best I have seen in the last 50 years. Schumacher and Hamilton are also exceptional drivers. Of course, you should always look at the statistics, they are both fantastic. But Senna died early, and Verstappen is still young.”
Verstappen may have a long way to go to reach the statistics of the two seven-time world champions Hamilton and Schumacher, but if Red Bull can consolidate their dominance at the head of the field after producing the sensational RB19 then he will likely make further inroads in 2024.
The Dutchman was untouchable at times in 2023 and with team-mate Sergio Perez failing to win a single race after the fourth round of the campaign in Azerbaijan, it is unlikely that he will face any competition from within the Red Bull set-up.
Hamilton is hoping to add to his tally of 103 Grands Prix victories before his retirement arrives. The 38-year-old Brit is currently looking to end a two-year winless streak and has now failed to reach the top step on his last 16 visits to the podium.
