“He Might Be Better Than Ayrton”: Ex-Senna Teammate Rates Max Verstappen Higher Than Brazilian Great

Max Verstappen etched himself into the history books by becoming a four-time World Champion in 2024, and it is safe to say that he has lived up to the talent promised when he first burst onto the scene almost a decade ago. In his journey to the top, he would often be compared to some of the greats of the sports with Ayrton Senna’s name being a regular occurrence in these conversations.

Verstappen has a reputation for being an aggressive driver, someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Senna was the same during his peak days, which is what led to the community drawing parallels. But who is better?

Gerhard Berger, a former teammate of Senna’s and also a close friend, rates Verstappen higher. Tom Clarkson revealed a conversation he held with Berger on the Pelas Pistas podcast, where the Austrian shared how much he admired Verstappen.

Clarkson got to know that the only racing helmet Berger had at home that didn’t belong to him was the Red Bull driver’s. “I think Max is unbelievable,” Berger told the F1 journalist, as recounted by him.

Clarkson continued, “I said, ‘How good is Max?’ and he said, ‘Actually, I think he may be better than Ayrton.'” Berger wasn’t talking about Senna’s talent, which he still believed was better than Verstappen’s.

He was referring to the additional steps the Dutchman has taken to improve his racing skills. “Repetition, muscle memory, peripheral vision, spatial awareness. You will become a better racing driver if you do the sim stuff as often as Max does.” 

Verstappen has surpassed Senna

Verstappen equaled Senna’s overall tally of race wins (41) in Montreal two years ago on a day he considered unfathomable growing up. “I was dreaming about being a Formula 1 driver and I would have never imagined to win 41 Grands Prix,” the then two-time World Champion said per F1’s official website.

Fast forward to 2024 and Verstappen has four titles and 63 wins. Statistically, he has surpassed Senna completely and is on his way to increasing the gap with the great Brazilian.

Sadly, there’s a sense of ‘what could have been’. Senna saw his career tragically cut short when he passed away following a devastating crash at Imola in 1994. The São Paulo-born driver could have (and most likely would have) won more titles, had the dark weekend of the 1994 San Marino GP never occurred.