At the age of 25, Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 CV is incredible, with a record breaking 2022 being the latest of the Dutchman’s successes.
Verstappen’s 15 race wins in 2022 shattered the previous record of 13 wins in a single season, which was shared between the German legends Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
The 25-year-old already has two drivers’ championships to his name and with Red Bull going from strength to strength in recent seasons, there is no reason why he cannot go on to win many more titles.
Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg has now suggested that despite his young age, Verstappen should already be considered as one of the greats, such are his achievements in the sport.
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“He is an incredible driver. It is easy to say now he is going to be one of the best of all time which, even now, he already is if you look at the statistics,” he said.
“A double world champion with all the race wins that he has, more than [Fernando] Alonso now as well, so he is already one of the best of all time.
“He is only getting started so he is going to confirm that in the next decade. It is just incredible, his level of driving is just phenomenal. It is great to witness that.”
Verstappen has insisted that he is not bothered by the comparisons to the likes of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, suggesting that he feels privileged to achieved what he already has, making anything else a bonus.
“I think I already achieved more than I could ever dream of so for me I always just try to get the best out of myself,” he claimed.
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“I don’t really think about where I am between all of the all-time greats in terms of championships or wins. I just want to do my job. I, of course, know I have a contract through 2028, so I want to try and win more with this team – more races and potentially championships.”
Verstappen has previously hinted that he could walk away from F1 when his current contract expires, claiming that he would like to explore other racing series before he retires from motorsport.
This means that it will unlikely that the Dutchman will have a career as long as the likes of Hamilton and Alonso, giving him less time to win even more championships.