Former F1 driver refutes Jenson Button’s claims of Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton racing outside F1 to prove their GOAT status

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert claimed that Max Verstappen does not need to jump ship to be considered one of the greats of F1 contradicting Jenson Button's comments on the same subject.

The Red Bull driver is contracted with the Austrian team until the end of the 2028 season and is still undecided about his future. There are some hints that he might consider stopping racing altogether or join another team on the grid, like Ferrari.

Former world champion Jenson Button had stated that Max Verstappen needed to race elsewhere to be considered one of the greats, saying:

“There’s every possibility that Max [Verstappen] could go down as the greatest but I like the idea that you can’t be the best driver in the world if you haven’t stepped outside of F1,”

But while giving his opinion on the matter at OLBG, Herbert said:

"Verstappen doesn't have to move to another team and win there to be considered one of the greatest. Michael Schumacher did it with Benetton and Ferrari. But whatever car you're in, the elite like Verstappen or Hamilton perform in every car out there."

He added:

“If he goes to another team, he should have the chance to win a race and a title in that car. We know that Lewis Hamilton can be equivalent to Max Verstappen if they are in the same car. It's not fair to say that Verstappen can only be seen as one of the greats if he hasn't been in another car before."

Nico Rosberg on Max Verstappen's current dominance in the sport

Former F1 world champion with Mercedes Nico Rosberg stated that we are currently witnessing greatness from Max Verstappen which is on similar lines as Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Speaking with Sky Sports, Rosberg said:

"We are witnessing real historic greatness in line with Schumacher, Hamilton, and Senna. It's a really incredible performance, extraordinary."

Rosberg also spoke about Max Verstappen's possible retirement in 2028 after his contract runs out, adding:

"That talk from him [possibly retiring] started in the year when he battled Hamilton, where he said 'I won't go on for very long if every year is like that'. Those battles are so fierce and intense, it takes a lot of the fun away as well."

"I can't put myself in his shoes. Money-wise he's done, he has so much he won't have to work again or worry again. Record-wise he's already one of the best of all-time by the end of this year."

It will be interesting to what the future holds for the Dutch driver and how many more titles could he win with Red Bull before his contract expires in 2028.