When Max Verstappen was coasting to victories and championships in 2022 and 2023, questions arose over whether he could win without a dominant car. Verstappen answered those questions with his title win in 2024, driving a slower Red Bull to shut down all doubts. In awe of his driving, David Coulthard compared the Dutchman to seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher.
Coulthard first stated that Verstappen is setting the benchmark for F1 dominance today, much like Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton did in the 2000s and 2010s, respectively. However, he contrasted this by noting that Hamilton avoided much of the controversy that surrounded both Schumacher and Verstappen’s championship wins.
“He [Max Verstappen] has picked up where Michael [Schumacher] left off in that era,” said Coulthard on the Drive to Wynn podcast. “I think Max is more of a Michael-type racer, where Lewis does the winning in a less controversial way,” the ex-Red Bull driver added.
One couldn’t blame Coulthard for his comparison since both Verstappen and Schumacher’s maiden titles came under controversial circumstances. The German, driving for Benetton in 1994 sealed the deal by colliding into Damon Hill in the season finale, which may feel was intentional.
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s 2021 title triumph will always be marred by the awful safety car fiasco that unfolded in the final few laps of the Abu Dhabi GP. The dominance that he showcased in 2022 and 2023 can be matched with how Schumacher dominated with Ferrari during the 2000 to 2004 period.
So, in a way, the similarities in their racecraft and driving style have also transcended in the way they achieved their championship success.
Similarities between Verstappen and Schumacher
Several experts have compared Verstappen and Schumacher’s driving style and what has made them stand out relative to others on the grid. One such comparison was about how they take a different racing line through a corner to optimize their speed and gain time.
Former racer Scott Mansell once reviewed on his YouTube channel how Schumacher used to take a wider V-shaped racing line to brake late into the corner but have enough grip to get on the throttle earlier than other drivers.
Verstappen also executes a similar maneuver that gains him time, whether it’s half a tenth or so, but that could prove critical throughout a 50-lap Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher. Via Reddit. pic.twitter.com/KpJtvapt8M
— Demetriou Neto (@NetoDemetriou) November 17, 2024
Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok also highlighted a similar trend between Verstappen and Schumacher. He stated that the Dutchman hits the corner at an optimal speed just like the Ferrari legend. “When Verstappen is at the apex, he can let go of the steering a little.”, Chandhok wrote in a column on Motorsport.
This helps him manage his tires better by putting less lateral load on them through a corner. Taking that wider line, using all the track space while getting on the throttle earlier, is not a maneuver that all drivers can pull off, which is where Verstappen and Schumacher’s innate skill becomes distinctive.
