Having surpassed Ayrton Senna’s win total of 41 recently, and now looking sebastian vettel‘s total of 53 to become third on the all-time list, max verstappen He is quickly establishing himself as a Formula 1 great.
After 10 races into the season, he is yet to finish lower than second in his dominant RB19, while his teammate Sergio Perez they have failed to reach Q3 in their last five appearances.
But could the Dutchman win if he was in a midfield car despite the speed difference at the front of the field? Former Arrows and Brabham driver Marc Surer thinks so.
READ MORE: Jos Verstappen: His life in F1 and how he led Max to greatness
Safer – he just has above average talent.
speaking to Formel1.deSurer spoke about some of Verstappen’s best traits and what makes him so good on track every week.
He said: “I am sure that with a team in midfield he will have a chance to win races. He just has above-average talent, and he also has the confidence.
“He knows what he can do, he knows how to do something, and then he can also manage people. He’s really grown into it. Very impressive.”
Racing in F1 over a seven-year period, Surer was lucky to have been on the same grid as Ayrton Senna for three of them, believes Verstappen shares similar qualities to the great Brazilian, saying:
“I can see that too, for sure. Senna also had that determination, even during overtaking. It is all or nothing. He is a true racing driver. A lot of today’s drivers don’t have the right mindset, but Max definitely does.”
Sadly, with Verstappen in the middle of a long-term deal with Red Bull that sees him through 2028, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to see him in a midfield car anytime soon without a serious slip-up.
However, that doesn’t mean the Dutch driver won’t treat us with more excellence as long as he remains in front, while we wait for the competition to finally challenge him after one of the most dominant periods in F1 history.
READ MORE: Who is Kelly Piquet? Max Verstappen’s girlfriend and F1 royalty
