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.

Replies (0)

Login to reply

AZ Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

AZAzerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

Test calendar

See full test schedule

World Championship standings 2025

Show full world champion standings

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
6 - Mar 8
Australia
13 - Mar 15
China
27 - Mar 29
Japan
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
1 - May 3
United States of America
22 - May 24
Canada
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
12 - Jun 14
Spain
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
10 - Apr 12
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
5 - Jun 7
Monaco Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
See full schedule

Driver profile

  • Team Red Bull Racing
  • Points 3,453
  • Podiums 127
  • Grand Prix 234
  • Country NL
  • Date of b. Sep 30 1997 (28)
  • Place of b. Hasselt (Belgie), NL
  • Weight 70 kg
  • Length 1.8 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Show full profile
show sidebar