With back to back wins in Monza and Baku, Max Verstappen has reignited the hope he can become only the second driver in history to claim five consecutive F1 championships. Michael Schumacher achieved this feat during his years either Ferrari, but Lewis Hamlton’s best shot at this feat was foiled by Nico Rosberg who claimed the drivers’ title in 2016.
Sky Sport’s pundit Karun Chandhok is somewhat of a marmite character, his nerdish knowledge of all things F1 is at times astonishing. Yet at times he makes bold claims which appear somewhat outlandish to some of the viewers, his latest includes failing to name Max Verstappen in his top F1 drivers of all time.
Only Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have won more titles than Verstappen who in Azerbaijan clocked up his 67th Grand Prix victory and he sits now behind Michael Schumacher with 91 and Lewis Hamilton with 105.
Verstappen’s F1 credentials
During the 2023 season where Max and Red Bull dominated, the Dutch driver racked up 19 wins from 22 Grand Prix making his 86.36% win rate the highest of all time in a single year. Albert Acari is second on the list with 75% albeit in a season where he won six of just eight Grand Prix.
Given his age Max Verstappen has enough time and more than enough talent to eclipse the record number of Grand Prix wins held by Lewis Hamilton and even rack up the holy grail of an eight world championship which he wrenched from the grasp of Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi 2021.
Chandhok during an “ask me anything” on the Formula1SG subreddit, was questioned as to which driver’s would make his “Mount Rushmore”. The Indiana ex-F1 driver failed to narrow his list to four, but instead chose to name his top five F1 drivers of all time. Featuring are Prost and Senna along with Schumacher and Hamilton with Jim Clark as the somewhat surprising fifth on the list.
Max resembles the greats of yesteryear
Scottish driver Clark won just two F1 titles but was sadly killed at the age of 32 cutting short what should have been an iconic career. Chandhok wrote: “Oooh – good question! Jim Clark, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Schumacher and Lewis were my top 5 but we need to judge Max after he has finished his career.”
For many, Verstappen has already done enough to merit his place in the top five F1 drivers of all time and his recent exploits in sports car racing now give him more of a resemblance of some of the greats from yesteryear.
Being a serial winner in F1 is tough, but racing and clocking up victories in other series simultaneously is something few drivers ever do. Historically there was a number of drivers who raced both in F1 and in North America’s premier racing series now called Indycar. Yet there are just five drivers who have won the F1 championship and the toughest race in the USA – the Indy500.
Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fitipaldi and Jacques Villeneuve make up the roster. Just one of those drivers also claimed the triple crown of motorsport as Graham Hill added the Le Mans 24 hour win to that list.
The forbidding tale of Kubica
The freedom to race in other series is not afforded to many modern F1 drivers given their value to the teams is too immense. The risk of joining another racing series as a relative amateur was evident in the case of the last Polish F1 driver Robert Kubica.
Kubica was allowed by his Renault team to compete in the Ronda di Andora rally but on February 6th 2011 he was seriously injured in a crash during the event in which he suffered partial amputation to his forearm, and fractures on his right elbow, shoulder, and leg. Kubica later confirmed he had in fact signed a pre-contract to join Ferrari the following season, but his F1 career was all but finished.
This tragedy makes it all the more surprising that Red Bull have allowed Max Verstappen to compete in sportscar racing and following his debut last weekend Helmut Marko confirmed Max will be taking on an even bigger challenge next season.
When asked by sport.de whether Verstappen will be stepping up to take on the 24 hours race at the Nurburgring in 2026, Dr. Marko’s response was a resounding “yes.”
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Red Bull prove more freedom for Max with them
“I think it’s great that a Formula 1 driver, who has many obligations besides racing – simulator, marketing and PR appointments – still finds the time for something like this with such enthusiasm,” added the 82 year old Red Bull Racing consultant.
At one point Marko tried to ban Verstappen from sim racing during an F1 weekend, so why the change of heart in allowing to risk it all racing in other categories? Permission was granted earlier this season by Christian Horner when speculation was rife Max would be leaving the team.
When asked why Red Bull have not prevented Verstappen from GT racing, veteran F1 writer Roberto Chinchero had this to say. “Because today Max has a lot of power within Red Bull. But I mean, it’s a status he has earned on the field.” Chandhok has previously stated McLaren would never let their drivers race in other motorsports series.
Verstappen’s GT3 win “truly amazing”
Yet there’s more than meets the eye to this arrangement, whilst Red Bull haven’t provided Max with a title winning car this season, they are giving him more freedom than would other teams.
Max win in the GT3 racing series was described by a stunned seasoned veteran in Jeroen Bleekemolen as “truly amazing; it’s almost impossible to explain. If he races the 24 Hours (Nurenberg), that’ll be great. If he has a good lineup, do the math… He was a minute ahead after two hours of racing. Calculate that, and you’re a lap and a half ahead in a 24-hour race. That’s how good he was! I enjoyed it; it was a top race.”
Whilst its a leap from this level of sports racing to the world endurance championship, promoters and teams alike of that event will be licking their lips at the thought of Verstappen competing in the WEC or even at Le Mans.
Should he win the 24 hour event in France he would be one race away from joining TJ13’s most legendary F1 driver, Graham Hill who to date is the only driver to claim motorsport’s triple crown.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
No detailed argument is necessary to dismiss from credibility anyone who would not include Juan Manuel Fangio in his list of the five greatest drivers in the history of Formula One.