Collect all champions
Max Verstappen is currently at a lonely height in Formula 1. Still, according to Red Bull CEO Helmut Marko, there are two drivers who come close to him. And no, neither of them drives for Red Bull.
Max Verstappen clearly has the best Formula 1 car there is this year, but teammate Sergio Pérez proves that you can also easily grab next to Q3 or next to the podium with that car. Ultimately, the driver should still be able to get started and Verstappen is doing that even better this year than in previous years. He has time for some squabbling with his race engineer, takes an extra pit stop in the closing stages of a race for the fastest race lap (and therefore a bonus point) and laughs when he has a tense moment on the track. It is a dominance reminiscent of greats of the past.
On the current grid, in addition to Max Verstappen, there are two more drivers who have a track record that many fans consider to be among the very best ever: Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. The first has the numbers to support its legendary status, the second proves it especially by still being razor sharp behind the wheel even at an older age. Alonso and Hamilton have a few things in common: they are the only other world champions who are currently active in F1 besides Verstappen and the only drivers who, according to Red Bull CEO Helmut Marko, come close to the Dutchman.
According to Marko, Verstappen is definitely number 1: “No other driver will reach his level. Maybe Alonso and Hamilton will come close, but nobody can beat him at the moment,” said the Austrian at the official website of Formula 1. With that he clearly passes Verstappen’s teammate Pérez. “Being second behind Max is already a victory”, Marko summarizes Pérez’s performance in Belgium. “It is unbelievable how much thinking capacity he (Verstappen, ed.) Has. He can ‘read’ the race, think very far ahead, be fast and save the tires at the same time.”
Nothing but praise for the 25-year-old driver, who can hunt for a record after the summer break. If he wins in Zandvoort, he equals the record for most wins in a row (nine, Sebastian Vettel). In Italy, that record could be broken. Moreover, Verstappen now has a winning percentage of almost 85 percent this season. The highest winning percentage ever is in the name of Alberto Ascari, who won 75 percent of the races in 1952.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl