Max Verstappen’s dominance in Formula 1 has sparked endless debate about his place among the sport’s all-time greats. The Dutchman’s four consecutive world championships and unmatched consistency have placed him at the center of the conversation. Yet former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Verstappen should not be compared to the likes of Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Michael Schumacher.
In Villeneuve’s view, Verstappen is indeed a “pure racer,” but modern Formula 1 has created conditions that make today’s stars appear stronger than they truly are.
Villeneuve on Why Modern F1 Drivers Have It Easier
“Right now, an average driver can look acceptable,” Villeneuve explained in his interview with RacingNews365. “If you look at the past, an average driver would be two seconds off the pace, the way the cars were. Now, an average driver will be half a second [behind]. Okay, that’s acceptable — but you meant less difference.”
Villeneuve argues that today’s cars are more stable, which allows even average drivers to stay competitive. “They’re very stable cars,” he added, “and also, once you get to race pace, they slow down a lot to work, to control the tyres and everything. So it’s just a different F1 driver, different kind of cars.”
According to him, this stability has lowered the overall level of competition on the grid.
Senna and Prost’s Era vs Verstappen’s Dominance
“If you look at the past, in Ayrton Senna and [Alain] Prost’s era, you had five drivers like Max [Verstappen] every year. Now you only have Max, so the playing field is…”
He elaborated by stressing how competition has shifted: “Now there’s a lot of good drivers, where before there were a few extremely good drivers and a bunch of good drivers. So, I think the whole scheme has changed. So where does that leave Verstappen?”
“Max is not better than the very good ones of the past,” Villeneuve declared. “He’s alone right now, so he stands out. He makes the difference. He is a pure racer, and there’s not many of them anymore…”
Villeneuve’s comments suggest that Verstappen’s dominance is less about extraordinary talent and more about the lack of equally strong competitors. Had he raced in Senna’s time, the competition would have been much tougher.
The remarks highlight the never-ending difficulty of comparing drivers across eras. Formula 1 has evolved with safer tracks, longer seasons, more reliable cars, and highly advanced teams. Verstappen may be one of the greatest of his generation, but Villeneuve insists that true greatness must be measured against the legends of the past.
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