Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen has been labelled as one of the best drivers the sport has ever seen by ex-driver Johnny Herbert.
Verstappen has enjoyed a mountain of success across the last two years, as he took back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.
His 2021 success came following an intense, season-long battle with Lewis Hamilton while last year, he dominated en route to his second championship.
Verstappen is already being heavily tipped to take a third title this year following his and Red Bull’s strong start to the campaign.
The Dutchman has long displayed impressive raw speed during his stint in F1, which began in 2015.
However, his early years in the sport were also marred by on-track mistakes – an area in which he has vastly improved in recent years.
Although Herbert admits it’s difficult to compare drivers from different eras, he says that Verstappen has showcased the qualities of one of the best in the sport’s history.
“It’s hard but for me already he is one of the best we’ve seen,” he told GIVEMESPORT.
“Because I think, for me it’s always about consistency, and he does not make mistakes.
“There was always the talk before he won his first world championship that this guy is the next big thing.
“So it was almost like there was always an understanding anyway, that this guy’s pretty hot and pretty special. Now he’s achieved two titles I think he’s already there as one of the best we’ve seen.”
Verstappen reminds Herbert of Hamilton ‘a couple of years ago’
Verstappen has gone toe-to-toe with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton on several occasions over the last few years.
The two came to blows in 2021 during their title fight, but matters have calmed across the last year with Mercedes slumping down the order.
Herbert says that he is “wowed” by Verstappen in a similar way to Hamilton a few years ago.
“I always enjoy watching him today, and I always get wowed at what he does today,” he said.
“Just as I got wowed by what Lewis [Hamilton] did only a couple of years ago, it hasn’t finished for him yet, but there was a wow factor to him.
“Whatever you think of Max with his elbows out type of racing, that’s part and parcel of racing to be perfectly honest.
“It’s not my style but that really doesn’t matter. Because what he actually does with a racing car sometimes is pretty unbelievable.
“I enjoy what he’s doing at the present time but where he is in the pecking order is a hard one because the times are so much different than what they were.”
