Iconic F1 star claims Max Verstappen has the 'Michael Schumacher gene'

Verstappen, Schumacher, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Legends

Iconic F1 star claims Max Verstappen has the 'Michael Schumacher gene'

Max Verstappen is a four-time world champion

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 5 January 2026 09:58

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Former F1 star Ralf Schumacher has said that four-time world champion Max Verstappen 'has the Michael Schumacher gene'.

Ralf's brother Michael is a seven-time world champion in the sport, and is largely regarded as one of the greatest drivers that F1 has ever seen.

Schumacher is second on the all-time lists of race victories, podiums and pole positions, behind only Lewis Hamilton on all three of those lists, while the pair are the only two drivers to have claimed seven world championships.

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Verstappen hasn't quite reached those heights in terms of numbers just yet, but at the age of 28, the Dutchman is already a four-time champion and sits third on the all-time list of grand prix victors.

Red Bull's star driver has a plethora of F1 records to his name, including being the youngest ever grand prix winner and holding the record for the number of consecutive grand prix wins (10).

How many more all-time records Verstappen breaks probably depends on how long he is willing to stay in the sport, with the Dutchman recently suggesting that he will not race long after his 30th birthday.

But Ralf Schumacher believes the Dutchman has a touch of the Michael Schumacher about him.

Speaking to Sport1, the German said: "Max is someone who can get an extremely lot out of a car - you saw that in comparison to Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson. But it was still a tremendous team effort. And that changed Max.

"He gained this added bonus, this ability and aura that Michael also had: to unite, lead and inspire a team around him. Having people who would walk through fire for you is crucial. Max now has this Michael gene too."

How long will Verstappen continue in F1?

Verstappen has many passions outside of F1, with sim racing, GT Racing and a desire to one day compete in the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race just to name a few.

On top of this, Verstappen also has a young family, and he welcomed his first child with partner Kelly Piquet earlier this year.

Verstappen, who has constantly reiterated that he will not race in the sport as long as the likes of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, has recently also said he doesn't see himself racing in F1 for much longer if the lengthy 24-race calendar remains.

"I don't see myself driving in Formula 1 until I'm 44, let alone with 24 races per season," he told Viaplay in an end of season interview. "Even being in F1 at 34 would be too much."

The length of Verstappen's career may well rest upon how long he can be challenging for championships for, with the Dutchman unlikely to be wanting to run in the midfield.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Michael Schumacher Ralf Schumacher