7 F1 titles and 103 race wins not enough as Max Verstappen tipped to be “better” than Lewis Hamilton by 3x race winner

Max Verstappen has been busy rewriting the history books in recent times as he is heading for his third championship this season. The Dutchman recently earned his seventh consecutive win at the Hungarian GP. The event also marked Red Bull scripting history as the first team to win 12 races on the trot.

Verstappen's journey to becoming one of F1's elite drivers has left many in awe, including 3x Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert, who was full of praise for the reigning champion. He went on to say that Max Verstappen would eventually be better than seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

The former F1 driver believes that Max Verstappen will eventually eclipse Hamilton to become the sport's greatest driver. He backed his statement by reasoning that new-generation drivers have always evolved to become better drivers.

"Max will be better than Lewis Hamilton, Lewis was better than Michael Schumacher and Schumacher was better than Senna again. It's just evolving." Herbert said to King Casino Bonus after the Hungarian GP.

Hamilton and Verstappen on the podium

Verstappen has always been regarded as a generational talent, even before his championship-winning seasons. Herbert mentioned the same as he said:

"Max Verstappen is a talent that you only see once in a generation. There is always someone better than the predecessor, apart from the technological progress that there is."

At 25 years of age, Verstappen has won 44 races and has stood on the podium 88 times, along with two championships in his nine-year stint in F1. With plenty of racing years still left in his career, one can only wonder what the Red Bull driver can achieve in F1.

As Max Verstappen marches on to win his third championship, he will inevitably break various records if Red Bull continue to deliver a competitive car.

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Herbert reflects on how Max Verstappen has grown as a driver

Max Verstappen made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) in 2015 and earned his Red Bull call-up the following season. Although he won in his first outing with the team, there were plenty of aspects to his driving style that needed to be smoothened over the years.

Once seen as an aggressive driver who pushed the limits on every lap, Verstappen has matured over time. Johnny Herbert spoke about the Red Bull driver's growth as he said:

"He has grown so much as a driver. He doesn't just fly off into the distance. He looks at the situation and then decides what to do. That is a change from the Max of the past. That is why I don't see anyone getting to the same level as Red Bull."

Given RB19's mighty advantage over the field, Verstappen often doesn't push the car to its limits as he cruises to victory on most weekends.

"A bad day for Max was second. Now a bad day for him is a first place," Herbert concluded.

Verstappen will now prepare to defend his Belgian GP title next weekend.