F1 champion Max Verstappen shares respect for 'no compromises' attitude of racing legend

Max Verstappen, Fanzone, generic, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Max Verstappen shares respect for 'no compromises' attitude of F1 legend

Max Verstappen is quickly cementing himself as one of the greats

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 16 October 2025 12:55

Red Bull F1 star Max Verstappen has got four drivers' championships under his belt and is technically still in contention for a fifth. But for the first time since he picked up his infamous maiden title in 2021, he is facing serious competition.

Should he manage to catch up to McLaren's competitive driver duo over the next two months, Verstappen will further cement his status as one of the F1 greats, joining the likes of seven-time champions Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.

Though the two legends share the record for the most drivers' titles, Verstappen could still match Schumacher's record for the most championship wins in a row, with this year's title being his fifth consecutive victory if he can make up the gap to Oscar Piastri between now and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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Verstappen was lucky enough to grow up around Schumacher thanks to the close relationship his father, Jos Verstappen, maintained with the German racing legend. The two had been team-mates at Benetton in F1 during the 1994 season but later spent time together 'as one big family' during holidays.

Max has often discussed how he was ignorant to Schumacher's greatness as a young boy, simply knowing him as 'Uncle Michael', but now, the Red Bull star has revealed the seven-time champion's quality he admires most.

In the 21st edition of The Road Rat magazine, Verstappen said: "Michael Schumacher represents, for me, the driver who was always working hard, giving it everything he had. There were no compromises. the only thing that counted was that he won, it didn't matter how, so long as he was winning."

Can Verstappen make a championship comeback?

If Verstappen's idols are anything to go by, he won't go down without a fight in 2025.

Comparisons have been drawn between Verstappen and Schumacher in the past, both were painted as the villain during the height of their career, had fierce rivalries and were unforgiving when it came to battles out on track.

Verstappen is vying to become only the second driver in the sport's history to achieve five back-to-back world titles, but can he do it?

With just six rounds left in the 2025 campaign, the Dutchman sits down in third in the drivers' championship, with Piastri and Lando Norris both ahead of him.

However, the 28-year-old shouldn't rule himself out of the fight just yet given that there is currently a gap of 63 points to championship leader Piastri and a maximum of 174 points are still up for grabs across the final six grands prix and three sprint races.

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Max Verstappen Michael Schumacher