Former F1 Driver Does Not See Any Difference Between Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher

Credits: IMAGO / Laci Perenyi, IMAGO / NurPhoto

Max Verstappen is arguably the greatest driver on the current Formula 1 grid. His relentless consistency has helped him clinch three straight F1 world titles. Although he is still four championships away from equaling the legendary Michael Schumacher, experts yet regularly compare the two. The latest to do so is former F1 driver Christian Danner.

Danner said to Servus TV as per F1 Maximmal, “If you look at Hamilton and at Mercedes, or at Schumacher at Ferrari, you see that the drivers there got exactly what they needed. I don’t just mean a fast car, but also a car that does exactly what they need. The absolute top drivers then have the talent to maximize that package. If you compare them, I don’t actually see any differences between Schumacher and Verstappen.”

Verstappen’s recent dominance in Formula 1 has been nothing short of spectacular. He has ripped apart his opponents in the last couple of campaigns by registering 34 wins out of 44 races.

During this stellar run, he also registered a record ten consecutive wins in 2023 from the Miami Grand Prix to the race in Monza. Thanks to this run, he broke Sebastian Vettel’s decade-long record of nine straight wins from 2013 that he set during his time at Red Bull.

Apart from this, Verstappen‘s current race-winning tally stands at 55, which is the third highest in terms of race wins, only after Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. Moreover, Verstappen’s also on level terms with Schumacher and one step away from matching Hamilton in terms of Grand Slams.

Therefore, there is no surprise about why the 26-year-old is often compared with the two seven-time world champions even though he has less than half of their tally. After comparing Verstappen with Schumacher, Danner also pointed out why the Dutchman has an upper hand over the German.

What makes Max Verstappen better than Michael Schumacher?

Christian Danner believes that Max Verstappen is better than Michael Schumacher because the Dutchman has better composure than the German. Danner is of the opinion that the three-time world champion is a bit more thoughtful, whereas the seven-time world champion used to “explode” at times.

The German former driver’s clash with David Coulthard during the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix is a testament to that. The former Ferrari star turned furious after the clash jeopardized his race. He stormed into the pit lane to confront the former British driver about the incident.

On the other hand, when it comes to Verstappen, it is pertinent to note that the 26-year-old has had his own share of feisty moments. Verstappen once had a heated clash with Esteban Ocon during the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix.

After the two drivers collided on track, an angry Verstappen stormed into the garage of the Frenchman and shoved him. As a result of the incident, the FIA took disciplinary action against the Red Bull driver. However, ever since the 2021 season, Verstappen has been much more composed despite battling with Lewis Hamilton for the title that year.