Ralf Schumacher claims that talk of Max Verstappen breaking Lewis Hamilton’s and his brother Michael’s Formula 1 outright records is “premature,” but that “he can do it” based on his talent.
Max Verstappen’s second title was secured at Suzuka, and he is one race win away from matching the record for most race wins in a season with four Grand Prix weekends remaining in 2022.
Former Jordan, Williams, and Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher believe the Dutchman has cemented his dominance within the Red Bull garage first and foremost, translating that into race victories with the driver-team combination’s excellence.
In his Sky Germany column, Ralf Schumacher stated: “Congratulations to Max Verstappen on his second World Championship title. He has had an unbelievable year, especially when you consider how difficult the start of the season was.
“He had a lot of bad luck. Overall, the Red Bull driver is, of course, a worthy winner. What impresses me most about him—there have been strong drivers in the past who have dominated together with their teams.
“But in relation to his team-mate Sergio Perez, Verstappen also makes a difference in the team in an impressive way.”
Verstappen is still a long way from Hamilton’s 103 race victories and Michael Schumacher’s 91, but he is rapidly climbing the all-time list-now joint sixth with Alonso as he enjoys his most dominant season in Formula 1.
While he still has a long way to go, Schumacher believes that while getting to the top of the history books is not on Verstappen’s mind right now, he possesses the skills to do so.
“He’s only 25 years old, but I still think it’s a bit premature to start thinking about whether he can challenge Lewis Hamilton and Michael’s records,” Ralf Schumacher said.
“I don’t think Verstappen is looking to do that yet either. That’s still a long way off. In terms of driving ability, of course, he can definitely do it, there’s no doubt about that.
“But we also know in Formula 1 it also depends on factors the driver can’t always influence.”
