After securing his fourth championship in 2024, Max Verstappen registered his name in an elite list of drivers, which includes Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. The Dutchman now has only three more drivers remaining to surpass in terms of number of titles. Regardless, Mario Andretti is of the opinion that Verstappen has already reached that level of greatness.
Andretti feels that the Red Bull driver is already on the same pedestal as Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. While Fangio finished his F1 career with five championships to his name, Schumacher had seven. Hamilton matched the German’s tally in 2020 and has since struggled to get one step ahead.
Andretti, however, believes that Verstappen has surpassed all criteria of greatness. Citing his dominant 2023 season that saw him win 19 Grands Prix, the 1978 F1 champion finds the Dutchman in a league of his own among the current lot of drivers. The only one that comes close to him is Hamilton.
“The only one who came close to Max was Lewis, if you look at all his race wins and championships,” Andretti told F1 Maximaal. “Then you have Michael Schumacher, and then you have to go back to Juan Manuel Fangio. Max is really at that level,” he added.
Schumacher.
Hamilton.
Fangio.Just three drivers have more World Championships than Max Verstappen #F1 pic.twitter.com/md46JMO30v
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 25, 2024
The American great weighed in on Verstappen’s personality as well. Impressed by his no-nonsense attitude, Andretti praised the #1 driver for ‘letting his results speak for himself’.
The Red Bull driver has often showcased a result-driven approach and a tendency to never settle for the second best. This is something he learned from his father during his formative years.
Andretti lauds Jos Verstappen for making a champion out of Max
Jos Verstappen often attracts criticism for his hard taskmaster approach while raising Max as a racer. Andretti is not among the critics, though, and feels the results and Max’s character are a testament to the good job his dad did in the early days.
“There’s no arguing about the results,” he pointed out. “You always try to teach young people certain principles, and Max’s character speaks volumes. But you can’t force certain things. Certain characteristics are in certain people, but if you have the right guidance, and have been given the right example at a young age, it makes a big difference.”
Andretti finds no coincidence that those ‘certain characteristics’ found their way into Max. He argues it to be a result of the DNA the four-time champion inherited from his father. He compares it with his own sons, Michael and Chris. In their case too, Andretti says he never had to do too much to teach them the tricks of the trade.
A big admirer of the Dutchman, the 84-year-old has cleared that he would be delighted to have Verstappen at Cadillac. However, Andretti realizes it would be a distant dream, at least until the 2026 debutant team proves its worth on the track.
