Back in 2017, a young Max Verstappen appeared on a Dutch show called Peptalk. There, the now three-time world champion, was playing a game where he was posed with a number of quotes and was tasked at guessing which driver uttered them. Unintentionally, this game made Verstappen claim that the legendary Michael Schumacher didn’t understand Formula 1.
One of the quotes that Verstappen was asked to guess was, “Everything needs to right, only then can something really work. To put it in percentages, 50% is in the car, 50% is in the driver.”
The Dutchman laughed it off by stating that whoever made that remark was someone who “doesn’t understand” Formula 1.
It was later revealed to Verstappen that the person who had said those words was none other than Michael Schumacher. Things got a bit awkward thereafter. A young Verstappen tried to cover up his faux pas by spewing a half-hearted chuckle. Had Verstappen known it was Schumacher who said that, his way of tackling the answer would likely have been very different.
Schumacher is regarded as one of the, if not the greatest F1 driver of all time. After seven world championships and 91 Grand Prix wins, its an accolade that the German most certainly deserves.
Today, however, Verstappen is making history on his own. At the age of 26, he has three world titles and 54 race wins to his name. If things carry on the way they have been for the last three years, the Dutchman could well and truly surpass Schumacher’s legacy.
Will Max Verstappen beat Michael Schumacher’s F1 records?
Max Verstappen has dominated the grid for two seasons now. After denying Lewis Hamilton his eight-world title in 2021 by winning his first, the Dutch lion decimated the rest of the grid in 2022 and 2023.
Verstappen is also expected to continue this dominant streak until at least 2025. This is because the technical regulations won’t undergo any major change, which will be an advantage for Red Bull. This would bring him up to 5 titles, and still aged below 30. Naturally, many expect him to eventually match and beat Schumacher and Hamilton’s tally of seven titles a piece.
Happy 55th Birthday to the GOAT, Michael Schumacher!
This GIF of Max and Michael still makes me #KeepFightingMichael
pic.twitter.com/c2sSp2ddez— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) January 3, 2024
That being said, on more than one occasion, Verstappen has expressed that he does not intend to stay in F1 very long. With his current Red Bull contract set to expire at the end of 2028, many expect him to hang his racing helmet up at the end of that season. This could be the only roadblock in his pursuit for being declared the undisputed GOAT of F1.
Increasing sponsorship obligations irk him and are cited as the biggest reason for Verstappen to seek an early retirement. However, he has also expressed that if after 2026, Red Bull doesn’t master the new regulations, he has no intention of languishing in the midfield.
