Verstappen has 'tool' Hamilton is missing which makes Red Bull star 'best ever'

01 February 2024 , 06:00

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F1 fans have become used to the sight of Max Verstappen on the top step of a podium (Image: Getty Images)

Max Verstappen's love for simulator racing is what gives him the edge over rival Lewis Hamilton.

That's the view of former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger, who won 10 races during his own Formula 1 career. Like the rest of us, the Austrian was left blown away by Verstappen's dominance in the 2023 season, when he won 19 races out of 22 and toppled more records.

But Verstappen is not just a terrific driver in real life. He is also especially skilled on the simulator and uses it even outside his work for Red Bull - he has a state-of-the-art rig at home and regularly takes part in online racing events.

Verstappen's performances in real life already have Berger reconsidering his long-held stance on who the best F1 driver ever is. "I'm a bit biased about the question, because I drove with and against Ayrton Senna, I usually put him first," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

"But that's where the question begins - how do you evaluate something like that? Actually, it only works with facts or figures. And then you have to put Michael Schumacher first. Senna impressed with his talent and supernatural abilities in the car.

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"But now that we have one in Max Verstappen, I doubt whether my old rating is still correct. Max didn't make a mistake last season. At least that happened to Senna every now and then."

Of course, the virtual racing facilities of today weren't available when the likes of Senna and Schumacher were around. Even when Hamilton was at the same stage of his career as Verstappen is now, the technology was not advanced.

Its availability for Verstappen, and the fact he puts it to full use by spending as much time using simulators as possible, gives him a significant edge as far as Berger is concerned. He added: "Senna and Schumacher benefited from racing karts from an early age and doing nothing else in life other than racing. This applies to all drivers today.

"But Verstappen still drives virtual races on the simulator in his free time. Sometimes three a day. So he is always busy with this topic. He thinks through where you can overtake and where you can't. Neither Senna, Schumacher nor Hamilton had this tool.

"It's just noticeable that Max is always in the right place. At the start, in the first corner, in a duel. I can't think of anything that could be done better than him. That's why Max Verstappen is probably the best we've ever seen in Formula 1."

Daniel Moxon