Is Verstappen the Modern Senna of F1?

Jo Ramirez, a former McLaren coordinator who worked with Ayrton Senna during his time at the team, has made a bold claim that Max Verstappen is the modern-day equivalent of the legendary driver.

Senna is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, with three world championships, 41 Grand Prix wins, and 65 pole positions to his name before his tragic death in 1994.

According to Ramirez, Verstappen, who is aiming to become the fifth driver to win three consecutive world titles this year, reminds him of Senna in his prime.

'The guy is very good,' Ramirez told Spanish publication AS. 'He has taken on the role of Ayrton Senna in modern F1 and with what a car, the team and Adrian Newey are almost unbeatable.'

'Checo [Perez] is also very good but doesn't have the killer instinct of Max.'

After defeating Lewis Hamilton to win the drivers' championship at the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen dominated the field to win a record 15 out of 22 races last season.

The Dutchman made a perfect start to his title defense in 2023 with a dominant performance to win the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

When asked if he thought the Red Bull-Verstappen combination was unbeatable, Ramirez replied: 'Absolutely. If they don't suffer any technical setbacks or accidents, yes.'

'They are in a different galaxy and now a circuit comes where they will fly. Their supremacy will leave us speechless. They are very fast in the fast corners and will be far superior to the rest.'

'Furthermore, the battle between Max and Checo will be more beneficial for them to continue improving.'