Johnny Herbert believes that Max Verstappen will surpass Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher’s legacy in the sport.
Verstappen made his debut in F1 as a 17-year-old, becoming the youngest driver to ever take part in a Grand Prix. Ever since his first outing, he has been tipped as a potential World Champion and last Sunday, he lived up to that.
Max made history by being the first Dutch driver to win the World Championship. He passed his title rival Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the Abu Dhabi GP and brought home the Title.
Hamilton is one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. The Briton has won 7 World Championships and has the most number of race wins in history. However, former Lotus driver Johnny Herbert feels that Verstappen is on course to replace Hamilton as the best on the grid.
“He (Verstappen) will be better than Lewis, and Lewis was better than Michael, from my perspective. It’s just another evolution of the driver skillset.” the Sky Sports announcer said.
“That is what Max gives to me. He excites me. He gives me visual stimulation when I’m watching TV or I’m at the racetrack.”
“Max Verstappen is a young driver who has a wealth of experience”
At the Spanish GP in 2016, Verstappen became the youngest driver to ever win an F1 race. He did so at the age of just 18, a record that still stands to this date. At 24 years old, Verstappen has 7 years of F1 experience under his belt.
“I still feel Lewis has the edge at the present time, but it won’t be long before that’s on the other foot. Verstappen is still a young man and has a wealth of experience to come his way.” Herbert continued.
“And he will be better than Lewis, but it’s not quite yet, for me. Not quite yet, but it ain’t far away! He’ll be pushing himself massively to get the championship done and, if he gets it this year, that’ll be the changeover button already done.”
Herbert went on to say that in spite of being an incredibly talented driver, Verstappen’s antics on track could limit his potential. The Dutchman has been accused of being an overly aggressive driver by Hamilton, among many others.
“It puts a little bit of a bad taste in the mouth. I think it just shows what Max is willing to do to try and win this world championship.”
“I agree with Lewis – I love Max for what he does on the racetrack – but he does really push the limits, and sometimes he pushes it too much,” he concluded.
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