Coulthard Places Verstappen in Elite Company: “He and Senna Are the Best Ever”

Few in Formula 1 still doubt Max Verstappen’s place among the sport’s greatest drivers. But former F1 star David Coulthard has gone a step further, declaring that the Dutchman belongs at the very top — even above legends such as Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. According to the Scot, Verstappen shares a place with Ayrton Senna as the best of all time.

From teenage debut to F1 superstar

Verstappen burst onto the Formula 1 scene in 2015 with Toro Rosso, quickly making waves with his fearless driving style. His rise accelerated in 2016 when Red Bull’s Helmut Marko promoted him mid-season, swapping him with Daniil Kvyat after the Russian Grand Prix. Verstappen wasted no time in justifying the gamble, winning his very first race for Red Bull in Barcelona. From that moment on, he became a permanent fixture at the front of the grid.

World championship glory, however, took longer to arrive. While Mercedes and Hamilton dominated the turbo-hybrid era, Verstappen had to settle for sporadic victories. His breakthrough finally came in 2021, when he clinched his first world title after a season-long battle with Hamilton. Since then, Verstappen has gone from strength to strength, racking up four world championships, 66 race wins, 45 pole positions, and 119 podium finishes to date.

“Verstappen and Senna are the best”
In a TikTok video by Liam Kalevi, Coulthard was asked to rank drivers against Verstappen, only responding when he felt a name surpassed the Dutchman. One by one, greats such as Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, and even Schumacher were mentioned. Yet Coulthard dismissed them all.“He and Senna are the best,” the former McLaren and Red Bull driver concluded, cementing Verstappen’s place in what he sees as the sport’s most exclusive club.

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Driver profile

  • Team Red Bull Racing
  • Points 3,420
  • Podiums 126
  • Grand Prix 232
  • Country NL
  • Date of b. Sep 30 1997 (28)
  • Place of b. Hasselt (Belgie), NL
  • Weight 70 kg
  • Length 1.8 m
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