Olly Darcy is an editor at GPblog, specializing in Formula 1 news. With a background in sports journalism, he delivers timely and reliable coverage of the sport.
Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa believes that Max Verstappen "can undoubtedly become the best driver in history" in Formula 1.
It comes after the Dutchman took a stunning victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, his second win of the 2025 season with the troublesome RB21.
Although he has won twice already, it has been a challenging campaign so far for Verstappen, having to use every inch of his talent just to get the Red Bull Racing car onto the front row and the top step of the podium. McLaren have shown they have the more dominant car in 2025, leading the constructors' championship by 132 points.
Verstappen's Imola win now puts him just 22 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri
Massa unsure as to where Red Bull stand
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Speaking on the Brazilian podcast of motorsport.com, Massa acknowledges that Red Bull Racing are having a challenging year, believing that McLaren are the favourites for the constructors' title despite the heroic efforts of the Dutchman.
"I think it will be McLaren, because they have a car that is better than Red Bull," explained the Brazilian.
"We see Verstappen delivering work that, in my opinion, few drivers have achieved. The fact that he gets the maximum out of a car that is not the best on the grid is incredible."
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But because of the irregularity of the RB21 and its performance, it means that Massa, along with many others, does not know where the Austrian team currently stands.
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"It's even hard to say which position Red Bull has on the grid compared to the others, because if you look at Verstappen's teammate [Yuki Tsunoda], that position is then much worse than McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull.
"For me, Verstappen is absolutely the best driver at the moment, and he can undoubtedly become the best in history, because of what he has done," Massa believes, amazed at what Verstappen has been able to do this season.
This article was written in collaboration with Hidde Korte
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