Berger rates Verstappen higher than Senna and Schumacher: 'Just stands out'

Former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger has never held back in terms of his opinion on Max Verstappen, whom he has more than once compared to his former teammate Ayrton Senna. The 10-time Grand Prix winner now even places the Dutchman above his old friend and now dares to call Verstappen the "best of all time".

Asked by Auto, Motor und Sport whether Verstappen is already racing at the same level as the very biggest names in motorsport, Berger replied: "I am a bit biased on that question. Because I raced with and against Ayrton Senna, I usually put him first. But then the question arises: how do you judge something like that? That can really only be done with facts and figures."

When it comes to facts and figures, Berger says there is only one conclusion possible. "Then you have to put Michael Schumacher first. Senna impressed with his talent and his supernatural abilities in the car. But now, with Max Verstappen, we have someone I wonder if my old estimation is still correct," the 64-year-old Austrian continued.

"Max didn't make a single mistake last season. At least that still happened to Senna from time to time," Berger continued. "Senna and Schumacher benefited from the fact that they drove karts from a young age and did nothing but race in their lives. That applies to all drivers today."

The former F1 driver points out that Verstappen spends a lot of time in the simulator in his spare time and that this is how he knows exactly where he can and cannot overtake. "It just strikes me that Max is always in the right place. At the start, in the first corner, in the duels. I can't think of anything you could do better than him. That's why Max Verstappen is probably the best we've ever seen in Formula 1," Berger concludes.