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Jacques Villeneuve explains why Max Verstappen doesn’t compare to Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost

Originally posted on HITC | By Kyle Archer | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 7:27 AM ET

While Max Verstappen is often included in the debate over who the greatest F1 driver of all time is, Jacques Villeneuve doesn’t agree.

The 27-year-old Dutchman debuted in 2015 with Toro Rosso, which later became Racing Bulls, and only needed 23 races to make his way into the Red Bull lineup. Verstappen even won on his debut for Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish GP, setting the stage for what would become a storied career.

Verstappen also had a title-winning run from 2021 to 2024 and picked up over forty pole positions in that span. He’s now in his tenth season and has started every single race since joining the grid.

This season hasn’t been as smooth as previous years, though. Verstappen’s ninth-place finish at Hungary ended a long run without a podium appearance. And it also marked his lowest classified result without a penalty in over four years.

Villeneuve claims that Michael Schumacher is greater Than Max Verstappen

Despite having an impressive career so far, including three F1 drivers’ championships and over sixty wins, Villeneuv e doesn’t rank Verstappen as high as some of the legends of the past.

The former Williams driver pointed to Michael Schumacher instead:

“That would be Michael Schumacher,” Villeneuve told DAZN when asked who he thinks is greater than Verstappen.

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While both drivers had different journeys through their careers so far, some still believe that Verstappen hasn’t reached those heights yet – including Villeneuve himself.

Jacques Villeneuve says Max Verstappen would not be as special during the Senna and Prost eras

Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have more race wins than Verstappen, a r ecord helped by Red Bull’s dominance under the current regulations.

But Villeneuve doesn’t believe Verstappen would stand out in the same way if he had raced during the eras of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. He pointed out that Senna and Prost competed during a time with greater depth, while Verstappen has won 45 of 82 Grands Prix since 2022.

Photo by Jay Hirano/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

“If you go back in time, to when guys like Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were racing in Formula 1, you had five drivers like Max Verstappen every year,” Villeneuve said (via RacingNews365). “These days, you only have Max in a field of good drivers. Back the n, you had a few extremely good drivers and a few good drivers.”

“The whole equation has changed in that sense. Max isn’t better than the top drivers of the past. But he’s the only truly good driver in the current field, so he stands out. He makes the difference.”

Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost could have better stats if they raced in Max Verstappen’s era of reliability

Some fans and pundits see Verstappen as the greatest F1 driver ever, pointing to his 2021 title win over Hamilton as proof. But his titles in 2022, 2023, and 2024 came during a period when Red Bull had a clear advantage and there wasn’t much real competition.

Photo by Jean-Marc LOUBAT/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Senna and Prost, meanwhile, often went head-to-head for glory. They would also no doubt enjoy far superior stats if they raced in the modern era with longer calendars and far fewer reliability problems. Mechanical failures are now a rare sight in F1.

Since the start of 2021, Verstappen has retired four times due to mechanical issues: the Azerbaijan GP (left-rear tyre blowout) and Bahrain GP (fuel system) in 2021, Australia GP (fuel leak) in 2022, and brake failure at the Australian Grand Prix this year.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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