"Max is Max" - Jean Todt on whether Max Verstappen reminds him of a young Michael Schumacher

Jean Todt has refused to compare newly-crowned F1 World Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen to Michael Schumacher. The FIA President has said that the two drivers have their own personality and cannot be compared.

When asked whether Max Verstappen reminded him of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Todt said:

“You know I think each champion at this level has his own personality. So, I mean, I will say Max is Max, Michael is Michael. And each one’s success is a combination (of team and driver). But clearly, we have to admire and congratulate what happened this year and on one side you have the best team that is Mercedes, and on the other side the best driver that is Max.”

Todt added that it was important to “celebrate” one of the greatest seasons in F1 history rather than get into the controversy over the last lap in the Abu Dhabi GP.

Jean Todt was the Team Principal and General Manager of Ferrari during some of their most successful years in F1 history. Todt joined the Scuderia in 1994 and successfully led efforts to rebuild the team after the death of founder Enzo Ferrari in 1998. With Michael Schumacher driving for the team, Ferrari went on to win a record six consecutive constructors titles between 1999 and 2004.

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Pirelli name Max Verstappen as “poleman of the year” for the 2021 season

Max Verstappen was named “poleman of the year” for the 2021 season by Pirelli after he beat Lewis Hamilton to score his tenth pole of the season in Abu Dhabi.

After taking just three pole positions in the first six years of his F1 career, Max Verstappen improved his record by massive margins in 2021. Currently, Verstappen’s career tally stands at 13 pole positions. It would have been 14, if not for his grid penalty at the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, Verstappen’s title rival Lewis Hamilton equaled his second-lowest tally of pole positions in his career in the 2021 season.

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