Lewis Hamilton snubbed as Max Verstappen tipped to break Michael Schumacher’s all-time championship wins record
Felipe Massa thinks Max Verstappen (at least currently) is more likely to break the all-time championship wins record than Lewis Hamilton, who currently holds the record with Michael Schumacher.
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Max Verstappen (L) Lewis Hamilton (R)
Currently, the record for the most F1 (drivers’) world titles is held jointly by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Considering the latter driver is still competing in the sport, he does have a chance to win an eighth title and take this record for himself. However, currently, it’s not looking very good for him – his package at Mercedes is anything but championship-contending. Instead, Felipe Massa has posed an alternative to break this record – Max Verstappen.
Verstappen has won the past two seasons – the second one in a very dominant fashion. 2023 has started off well for him, and a third world title in a row is well within sight. The Red Bull RB-19 looks to be a dominant car, at least until the cost cap penalty catches up to the team. In such a situation, his only real challenger seems to be his teammate, Sergio Perez. It’s safe to say that Verstappen has had the measure of the Mexican driver in their time as teammates.
And Massa thinks that the Dutchman can go a lot further than that. Recently, he gave an interview to Bild where he was asked about the ‘favorite’ to break the all-time championship wins record. When quizzed whether Verstappen is a bigger danger to break the ‘Schumacher record’ than Hamilton, Massa said: “Currently yes. Max doesn’t make mistakes, he drives like a robot. He is extremely mature for his age. The two titles made him even better. He’s more relaxed now, not so dogged.”
However, that doesn’t mean that he has ‘written off’ the Briton: “You should never make the mistake of writing Lewis off. Next to Michael and Ayrton Senna, he is the best driver who has ever driven in Formula 1.” But for him to win an eighth title, Massa stressed: “Lewis can become world champion again – but for that he needs a competitive car. He currently doesn’t have that.”
Felipe Massa thinks the Max Verstappen era is ‘happening right now’
Max Verstappen is undoubtedly the driver to beat in Formula 1 right now. But that’s the thing – except on weekends where he has one issue or another, he looks nigh on unbeatable! Even right now, he looks to be on course for his third title in a row. The other teams, and even his teammate, Sergio Perez, would hope that doesn’t happen. But at least currently, he’s the obvious favorite.
And so, Felipe Massa thinks that the Dutchman’s credentials look good enough to start an ‘era’ like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton had. When asked if a new era has not yet ‘dawned’ on the sport, he said: “I think that’s happening right now. Max Verstappen has become world champion for the past two years. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t get the hat trick. Much more. Max can also win four, five or six titles in a row.” and felt that everything has lined up for such an era to happen.
As Verstappen doesn’t make any mistakes, and Red Bull (and the engine) are strong, Massa believes the conditions are ‘ideal’ for a Red Bull era. That’s definitely a mouth-watering prospect for the team’s fans. However, the goal of the current regulations is to increase competitiveness top-down. If a Red Bull era does start, one could say that the regulations – including the cost cap and the aerodynamic restrictions have failed in their primary objective.
In case you missed it:
- Sergio Perez will refuse to involve in anything that supports Max Verstappen in the future, warns Timo Glock
- Christian Horner reveals crucial details about Red Bull’s agreement between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)