Max Verstappen, an equal to Schumacher and Senna? That's what this F1 icon believes

Unlike in previous years, where he had a relatively easy time sweeping aside his title rivals, Max Verstappen’s pursuit of a fifth world title is proving to be much more challenging this season. Credit goes largely to McLaren, which has delivered a far more competitive car in the MCL-39 compared to Red Bull’s RB21. Even so, the Dutchman is still managing to hold his own impressively behind the wheel.

Verstappen’s exceptional driving skills and his ability to push beyond the limits of the car have not gone unnoticed—especially by the keen eye of Riccardo Patrese, who even drew comparisons to two all-time legends: Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna.

''He is one of those champions whom I would place in a ‘Superleague’, where they can make a difference, even without a winning car', the former Williams driver told a betting website.

‘At the moment, he doesn't have the best car - he added - but you can always see the danger that he's going to win races''.

According to Patrese, the big difference lies in how competitive the cars are: ''I sometimes saw Michael and Ayrton in a car that wasn't dominant, but they managed to achieve pole position, win and even try to fight for the championship''