Schumacher tells Verstappen he "has that Michael gene" after title charge

08:00, 02 Jan

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byLuke-John Buckle

Ralf Schumacher is adamant that Max Verstappen has a key trait that his brother Michael also had.

"Having people who would go through fire for you is crucial. Max now has that Michael gene, too."

- Ralf Schumacher

Verstappen is a four-time world champion and narrowly missed out on a fifth consecutive title last year. The Red Bull driver finished just two points behind Lando Norris, who took a maiden crown.

The 28-year-old has been clearly superior to his teammates since Daniel Ricciardo left the team at the end of 2018.

Schumacher told F1-Insider that Verstappen added another string to his bow this year as he was comfortably quicker than his teammates, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.

The German feels Verstappen was able to galvanise the team more in 2025 than in previous years, a key quality his seven-time world champion brother possessed.

He said: "Max is someone who can extract an incredible amount of power from a car – we saw that compared to Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson. But it was still a tremendous team effort. And that changed Max.

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

"He acquired that added quality, that ability and that aura that Michael also possessed: the ability to unite a team around him, to lead them, to inspire them. Having people who would go through fire for you is crucial. Max now has that Michael gene, too."

Villeneuve feels Verstappen could win seven or eight titles

Verstappen dominated most of the ground effect era, winning three of the four titles during this period.

The Dutchman is now one of just six drivers to have won four of more championships.

The 1997 world champion, Jacques Villeneuve, feels Verstappen could go on to win seven or eight in total. This would put him level with or ahead of Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.

Villeneuve praised Verstappen's relentlessness behind the wheel when speaking to a betting site.

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