Gerhard Berger raced during the golden age of Formula 1. Surrounded by rivals like Ayrton Senna, Berger also had the chance to witness greats like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton work at close quarters. When the ex-Ferrari and McLaren driver was asked if Max Verstappen had reached the level of either Senna or Schumacher, the 64-year-old Austrian pointed out a special ability in the Dutchman none of these legends had, not even Hamilton.
While speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Berger revealed that silver bullet in Verstappen’s chamber. According to him, the 26-year-old is obsessed with racing. As a result, he has mechanically studied the sport so well to always be two steps ahead of his rivals. This is a feat no other driver has ever been able to achieve.
He explained (as quoted by RacingNews365.com), “He is always preoccupied with racing. He mentally plays through where he can and cannot overtake. Neither Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool. It’s simply noticeable that Max is always in the right place. At the start, in the first corner, in the duel.”
While Verstappen has often been compared to Senna because of his all-or-nothing, aggressive driving style, Berger made a distinction here as well. According to Berger, his ex-teammate, Senna, used to often make mistakes during his spectacular drives. However, “Max didn’t make a single mistake last season,” concluded the 10-time Grand Prix winner.
With a historic 2023 season, Verstappen has now overtaken Senna’s win tally in the sport, too. With 54 wins, he stands clear of Senna’s total of 41. Moreover, with his third consecutive world title in the bag, he has equaled the iconic Brazilian’s championship tally, too.
What really makes Max Verstappen the unrivaled champion in F1 today
Berger went on to dissect the anatomy of the champions that Verstappen is compared with today. He explained that the one thing that really tied all of them together was the fact that they have done nothing else but race, all their lives.
Granted, that the entire Formula 1 grid today has been nurtured from the grassroots level, however, the breed of Max Verstappen is completely different. 2023 proved Berger’s point. Verstappen amassed an unrivaled 19 race wins in a single season and broke countless other records on the way.
Berger believes this to be because of Verstappen’s almost maniacal obsession with the sport. He singled out the fact that while other drivers were busy doing things in their off time, Verstappen “still races virtually on the simulator in his spare time.”
