“Right up There,” Ex-F1 Champion Ends Max Verstappen as ‘GOAT’ Debate

Former F1 champion Damon Hill reckoned that Max Verstappen could be the greatest driver to have raced at the pinnacle of motorsport.

“Right up There,” Ex-F1 Champion Ends Max Verstappen as ‘GOAT’ Debate

Max Verstappen booed at the F1 75 live event (via Red Bull)

Max Verstappen is undoubtedly one of the best drivers in Formula 1’s recent history. The Dutch driver has dominated the sport in the past few years with four consecutive titles to his name. This has put the Red Bull star in the history books. However, fans still debate whether Verstappen might be the greatest of all time, or the GOAT of F1. Now, former world champion Damon Hill has ended this discussion.

Damon Hill was asked whether Max Verstappen belonged to the elite club of F1 greats. The 64-year-old gave a straightforward response agreeing that the Dutchman should be classified amongst legends of the sport, such as Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher.

Additionally, when it came to Verstappen being the GOAT of the sport, Hill did not refute this claim. The Briton reckoned that this might be true as the reigning world champion is simply on a different level when it came to racing. So much so, that Damon Hill labeled the Red Bull star as a ‘phenomenan’ in himself.

Right up there, no question. Possibly. I mean, in terms of his effectiveness, in terms of his preparedness, his maturity, his speed. He’s a phenomenon and there are very few phenomena. They are the ones that we know of, the Fangios, Jim Clarks, the Sennas and the Michael Schumachers.

Damon Hill said on the High Performance Podcast

Helmut Marko pinpoints big positive for Max Verstappen and Red Bull

Max Verstappen and Red Bull did not have the best of starts to the 2025 F1 season. The Dutch driver struggled to match McLaren due to an underwhelming RB21. The 27-year-old title campaign was in a difficult spot with just one win in six races. However, the Emilia Romagna GP proved to be a great race for Verstappen who took a dominant victory.

Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko (via Getty)
Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko (via Getty)

After the race, Red Bull Motorsport Consultant Dr. Helmut Marko made a key observation. The 81-year-old highlighted that the Imola weekend was the only race where Verstappen did not complain about the car on the team radio. This was a major positive for Milton Keynes, as it showed that the car was finally on the right track, allowing the Dutchman to feel comfortable. As such, Max Verstappen might finally be able to push himself to the limit once again.

For the first time in a long time, Max Verstappen did not complain about the drivability of the car.

Helmut Marko told OE24

Max Verstappen is a driver who thrives when he’s comfortable with the car. However, the four-time world champion also knows how to get the maximum out of a chassis even during difficult situations. The 2024 title fight was a testament to this skill, as Verstappen bagged the championship despite arguably having a slower car over the course of the season.

2025 is a tougher challenge for the 27-year-old. With McLaren having a definitive pace advantage, Max Verstappen is having to work a lot harder than before. Yet, the Dutchman remains motivated to win. Fans can expect Verstappen to once again push the boundaries this weekend in Monaco. Although, Red Bull might be slower compared to McLaren on pure pace this weekend.

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