10x F1 winner looks past Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, names Max Verstappen as 1 of the 2 greatest F1 drivers in last 50 years

Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger placed Max Verstappen above Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher while talking about the greatest drivers in the last 50 years. He also compared Verstappen to Ayrton Senna.

Speaking to Austria's Kronen Zeitung, Berger stated that even though Hamilton and Schumacher are greats, there is something that makes Verstappen better.

Statistically speaking, Schumacher and Hamilton have the most wins and world championships in the history of F1. But Schumacher also raced for a long time and Hamilton is still racing.

Berger, who won 10 Grands Prix himself, compared Max Verstappen to his former teammate, Ayrton Senna, saying they are the best drivers he has witnessed.

"Verstappen and Senna are unique in the sport," he said. "They are the two greatest drivers I have seen in the last 50 years."

He added that despite Hamilton and Schumacher being exceptional, Max Versatppen's youth might make him better. He also mentioned that it could have been Senna before his career was tragically cut short by a fatal accident in the 1994 race at Imola.

"They are also exceptional drivers. Of course, you have to look at those statistics too. They are both fantastic, but Senna died early and Verstappen is still young," he said.

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Jenson Button compares Lewis Hamilton's teammate to Max Verstappen's

There has been a debate going on in Formula 1 about the teammates that Lewis Hamilton has had over the years compared to Max Verstappen. While the former had to battle out with drivers like Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas, Verstappen has not faced such competition.

That is the opinion 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button shared too, as he told Sky Sports:

"I think Lewis has had some very tough teammates. He’s had World Champions as team-mates, whereas Max hasn’t."

He later added that Verstappen has also shared his Red Bull seat with some of the most incredible drivers in the sport.

"I think Lewis has had more difficult teammates, but I also wouldn’t want to go up against Max. I mean, they’re all unbelievable drivers. The best in the world, and some of the best we’ve ever seen in Formula 1."