Ex-Ferrari engineer makes BOLD Max Verstappen claim after astonishing season

F1 Superstars

Ex-Ferrari engineer makes BOLD Verstappen claim

Ernest Knoors believes that Max Verstappen is setting new standards for F1 greats

Shay Rogers

Friday 8 September 2023 17:57

Former Ferrari engineer Ernest Knoors has said that Max Verstappen’s recent run of form is setting new standards at the height of Formula 1, having broken many of the sport’s records.

Currently on a run of 10 straight victories, having eclipsed Sebastian Vettel’s nine race win streak from 2013, Verstappen held up 10 fingers in appreciation of the feat at the Italian Grand Prix.

On track to earn a third consecutive F1 title and having dominated like no other driver has so far this season, Knoors claimed that that even for the greats of F1, this is a new level of success.

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Knoors: He sets new standards for the greats

“You say it, he joins the greats, actually you can say, he sets new standards for the greats,” he told Viaplay after the Italian Grand Prix. “Because this has never been done before. When is this going to be matched?

“You see it and think this is so easy, but it's not so easy. It's so incredibly tricky, there are so many opportunities to make a mistake again, right? With the Ferrari overtaking, still staying calm, waiting for the right moment, and then passing. Yes, it is perfection.”

Verstappen holds up 10 fingers after winning his tenth consecutive F1 race at the Italian Grand Prix

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has continued to downplay his team’s chances at winning every race this season, but it’s certain that Max Verstappen will be doing his all to make sure he is the victor in all remaining grands prix.

If he extends his current win streak to 18 by winning all remaining races this season, thus doubling the original record of Sebastian Vettel, it would be hard to deny Max his own place in the GOAT conversation.