Martin Brundle insists Max Verstappen on par with F1 legends who have 17 world titles combined

Verstappen celebrating his third championship in Qatar — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Superstars

Brundle insists Verstappen on par with F1 legends who have 17 world titles combined

There are surely more trophies coming the way of the three-time world champion

Joe Ellis

Thursday 9 November 2023 15:57

Former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle sees traits of some of the best drivers in history in reigning champion Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman clinched his third drivers' world title with several rounds to go in 2023 after a near-perfect season in his RB19.

He is set for a potentially record-breaking points total if his stunning form continues this season and Brundle is highly impressed.

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The Sky Sports pundit and grid wall extraordinaire has likened Verstappen's ability to some of the sport's all-time greats, including his bitter rival Lewis Hamilton.

Martin Brundle raced against the likes of Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell before picking up the microphone

Max Verstappen is almost impossible to beat when he and his car are in perfect harmony

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been long-term rivals in F1

Is Verstappen one of the greatest drivers of all-time?

"I think, already now when you're having a conversation about [the] greatest of all time and you'll go back to Fangio and Moss and Clark and Stewart and Hamilton and I think you've now got to include already Max Verstappen in that discussion," Brundle told Sky Sports.

Of the five drivers Brundle mentioned in the same breath as Verstappen, only Sir Stirling Moss did not win a world title, although he did have to fight the might of Juan Manuel Fangio during his career.

Fangio won five titles to add to Hamilton's seven, while Sir Jackie Stewart clinched three and Jim Clark added two more to the group's overall tally of 17 successes.

With Verstappen's three triumphs added into the mix, the number becomes 20.