05 April 2023 , 11:01
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Max Verstappen has been compared to the great Michael Schumacher as he steams towards a third straight world F1 title.
The 2023 season is only three races old, but the Dutchman has taken the chequered flag in two of them in Bahrain and Australia. And given the current pace of Red Bull, it seems only teammate Sergio Perez can launch any kind of challenge to his crown this year.
At just 25, Verstappen has already been touted to threaten the all time record of title wins, which is currently shared by Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. The pair have seven each, with the German winning five of his championships under the guise of Jean Todt at Ferrari.
And now Todt, who continues to visit Schumacher at his family home in Switzerland following his harrowing skiing crash in December 2013, has seen the likeness in the two generational talents. "He's quick, and he makes few mistakes," he told Corriere della Sera, when asked about Verstappen.
"He is a fighter like Michael. But on a human level I know Max too little to judge him. Michael, when he ran, could seem a bit cocky and obnoxious, but it was an attitude that served to hide the shyness of him. He was humble, he always questioned himself. He never accused the team, not even when the brakes failed at Silverstone because of us."
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The Scuderia have won just one title, claimed by Kimi Raikkonen in 2008, since Schumacher left the team two years previously. And Todt, 77, acknowledged that Verstappen is currently benefiting from his team in the same way his driver once did: "I don't make comparisons, but he and Max have a point in common. They drive for the best team, and that helps," he added.
Jean Todt mentored Michael Schumacher during his time at Ferrari (AFP)After his stint at Ferrari, Todt went on to serve as President as the FIA from 2009-2017. Despite Schumacher's family opting to keep his condition private, his former boss has been the one F1 figure permitted to see him.
His wife Corrina has faced criticism for refusing to speak publicly on her husband's privacy, but this week the Frenchman called for the family, and his former driver, to be left to themselves: "Let's leave him alone," he stated.
"We respect the privacy wishes of Corinna and her children, although we know of course that the accident had consequences. But anyone who says he knows something, knows nothing. I always go to see him. He and his family are my family."