During an episode of the podcast Pelas Pistas featuring Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto, the four-time Formula 1 world champion appeared visibly irritated when asked one of the sport’s most recurring questions: who is the greatest driver of all time.
The question was framed differently, asking him which past legend he would have chosen as a teammate if given the chance. Still, the query proved rather unwelcome for the Dutchman: “Even if my answer might appear controversial, I’m convinced that the great drivers of the past would struggle to drive today’s cars. The sport evolves, people evolve. That’s why I believe it’s important to leave the legends of the past in their own eras. They were great at their time, with the knowledge they had.”
Max Verstappen irritated: “Legends belong in the past”
Max Verstappen made it clear, without mincing words, that he was quite frustrated at being placed in a position to make such comments: “I’ve always found it unfair to have to answer these kinds of questions. First of all, how can you even pick the greatest of all time? For me, it’s impossible to say. It depends on the era.”
The Dutchman then took the discussion into his own hands, reasoning aloud and encouraging the audience and media to ask more meaningful questions in the future: “There are more interesting questions to ask. Like… Which driver would you have liked to share a garage with? Then I could say it would have been amazing to be at Ferrari during Michael Schumacher’s era. To be there, see what he did, and learn something from him,” he admitted, acknowledging the allure of the period in which Maranello won six consecutive Constructors’ Championships and five Drivers’ Championships.
However, he would not have made the same choice regarding another pivotal era in F1 history: “You could also ask if you would have wanted to be at McLaren when Ayrton Senna clashed with Alain Prost? Probably not, although at the same time they were winning and making the team dominant. So you could have learned something there as well. It would have been an interesting experience,” he concluded.
Max Verstappen’s refusal to participate in the “GOAT” debate highlights his pragmatic approach to the sport’s evolution, preferring to respect historical legends within their specific contexts rather than through hypothetical comparisons. His fascination with Michael Schumacher’s tenure at Ferrari reflects a deep appreciation for the technical and organizational mastery that defined that era, even as he remains wary of the toxic intra-team rivalries like the one between Senna and Prost. Ultimately, the Dutchman’s comments serve as a reminder that for current champions, the “Greatest of All Time” title is a subjective moving target that can never truly be pinned down.
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