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Max Verstappen compared to Michael Schumacher in unique skillset recognition

Originally posted on HITC | By Kyle Archer | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 10:51 AM ET

If Max Verstappen manages to hold on to his title next season, he’ll become just the second driver after Michael Schumacher to win five straight F1 championships.

The Dutchman has been the sport’s dominant force in recent years. Since 2021, he’s racked up 58 wins from 111 races, along with 82 podiums and 44 poles, collecting over two thousand points in that span.

As of now in the 2025 season, Verstappen has scored 341 points. He’s picked up five wins, 12 podiums and seven poles but still sits third behind both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren. There are only three races left to close the gap before the year ends.

Verstappen will need quite a bit to go his way if he’s going to make it five in a row. Only Schumacher between 2000 and 2004 managed that feat before him after adding those titles to his earlier Benetton championships.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is already being compared to Michael Schumacher in one significant way

If Red Bull star Max Verstappen is able to retain the championship in 2025, he will be able to match Michael Schumacher as the only other driver to win five Formula One titles in a row.

Schumacher won seven F1 world championships across a stellar career, and only Lewis Hamilton (seven) has also matched his total. It took a while for the German icon to find his rhythm after joining Ferrari, but once he did, there was no stopping him.

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Verstappen has been in control of F1 over the last few seasons and has been making his way up through many categories. Since 2021, he’s won 58 out of 111 Grand Prix races and collected 82 podiums and 44 pole positions for a total of 2,202.5 points.

While Verstappen has put up solid numbers so far this season – including five wins, seven poles, and twelve podiums – he’s currently third in the drivers’ standings with three races left on the calendar.

The one reason people are comparing Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher

Over time, Verstappen had become someone that everybody inside Red Bull listened to. Not long after joining Ferrari from Benetton in 1996, Schumacher would reach that same status at his new team too.

However, similarities between both have already started to emerge even before then. Over time at Ferrari following his move from Benetton in 1996, Schumacher quickly developed into a figure that everyone began listening to within the team.

Red Bull have built their entire team around Max Verstappen

Verstappen also helped Red Bull recruit his preferred advisors as the Formula 1 champions put the Dutchman at the centre of their efforts. Former BMW and Sauber engineer Gianpiero Lambiase became Verstappen’s race engineer in 2016, having worked with Sergio Perez before that.

Lambiase quickly became an integral part of Red Bull’s operations, shaping their technical approach and helping Verstappen turn potential into dominance. Over time, they established a working relationship that helped to define one of F1’s most successful eras.

Verstappen remains the face of the team in both performance and media presence. Red Bull’s driver programme now exists primarily to identify support drivers rather than build future stars around them.

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

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