'Verstappen is ahead of the greats of the past who came before him'

Giancarlo Fisichella drove in Formula 1 for more than a decade, eventually achieving nine podiums, including three wins. The now 50-year-old Italian has since thrown himself into long-distance racing, but he still closely follows the premier class of motorsport. Fisichella marvels at how good Max Verstappen is.

The former driver for teams such as Benetton, Renault and Force India used to race record champion Michael Schumacher himself. "I don't think there was anyone as strong as Michael in tyre management. He remains the number one to this day. But when we talk about driving talent, Max is on the same level. In Miami, he was smashing."

With the RB19, Verstappen has a bolide at his disposal that helps him because it is very good on tyres anyway. Moreover, the top speed is tremendously good, especially when the rear wing flips open. But, Fisichella tells La Gazzetta dello Sport: " The driver makes the difference. It can happen that Perez, with the same car, wins a few races a season. But when we talk about the world championship, there is no competition. I fear Max is destined to dominate for a long time."

Verstappen barely beatable

Verstappen made his debut in Formula 1 as a 17-year-old. He is now in his eighth season at the highest level and inexperience has given way to cunning and consistency. The Dutchman knows he sometimes has to be patient, where youthfulness still prevailed in his first seasons.

Because Verstappen is now so experienced, he is barely beatable. Fisichella thinks he is immensely strong in all conditions. "He is complete. If we look at what he has already achieved and is doing at his age, he is even ahead of the greats of the past who came before him. Only Charles Leclerc can be compared to him in this respect. And anyway, a driver like Verstappen is born once every 20 years."