Outside Line: Debate over, Max Verstappen is the Formula 1 GOAT

Before we dig into Verstappen’s greatness, what makes a driver the GOAT of Formula 1? Paradoxically, because “GOAT” isn’t plural, we have quite a few contenders for the most debated accolade in motorsport.

The first GOAT was Juan Manuel Fangio, head and shoulders above his generation of drivers, and respected by all of his rivals and teammates. Then you move on a bit, and you have Jim Clark. Same thing. Head and shoulders above the rest. He led, dabbled in other formats of the sport, won Indy, and was the GOAT of his time up until that point.

Then came Jackie Stewart, who some could say was The GOAT of his era. For sure, Niki Lauda has a huge claim to that fame. One could even make the case for Nelson Piquet and, of course, Ayrton Senna, probably top of the pile, as was Michael Schumacher. I, for one, would also fling in Gilles Villeneuve as a GOAT, despite his lack of titles. Few drivers captured hearts and minds as the Canadian did. GOATness is not just about the stats.

Then there’s Lewis Hamilton, there’s Fernando Alonso, and there’s Sebastian Vettel in the F1 GOAT wannabe club. At the very peak of their prowess and heyday of success, they were The GOATs of their time. But of all time?

For many years, we’ve had this pool of GOAT wannabes, with every now and then one of them popping up. As soon as you mention one, you say: “What about Fangio? What of Jack Brabham, who built his own cars? What about Seb, Lewis, Schumi, Senna, Prost et al?”

At the end of the day, it’s always been a huge debate with no real tiebreaker to distinguish the number one among these legends of Formula 1. But not anymore. I believe Max Verstappen embodies the greatness of all the above-mentioned, but from where I sit, he has an edge.

Since the latter half of the 2025 F1 season began, Verstappen has whittled his 100+ points deficit down to just 40 points off the leader, Oscar Piastri, while also reeling in Lando Norris as the McLaren boys lose their way at a crucial time in the championship. Five race weekends remain.

Superlatives are long ago exhausted. It’s been astounding to watch Verstappen rise to every occasion and deliver the kind of performances he has. The United States Grand Prix was a key example of how he single-handedly destroyed McLaren’s hopes in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix.

I’ve been meaning to write this more than once since Verstappen’s triumphant Monza weekend. But ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, where I’m sure he will be the front-runner (and probably win again if McLaren don’t get their act together), I’ve decided to finally put it out there and nail it once and for all: I believe Max Verstappen is the greatest of all time in Formula 1.

For those who don’t agree, I’ll give you a pass and say this: he’s heading there fast. He’s only 28 years old, and comparisons with Ayrton Senna are absolutely justifiable.

I, for one, witnessed both in action. I was a fanboy and saw Senna at work closely during my time as a Formula 1 photographer, and I can tell you that while Ayrton was the benchmark of his time and there was absolutely no way you could imagine a better racing driver, the sport has evolved on all fronts.

After the Brazilian, Michael Schumacher was Formula 1’s phenomenal driver, and of course, we had Lewis Hamilton, who was outstanding in his heyday. Ditto Sebastian Vettel. Then there's Fernando Alonso, also WEC Champion and Le Mans winner, all making a very good case. But, for me, Verstappen is on another level.

On another level, because of the tools available in the modern era of motorsport. From driver training to simulators to karting to the junior series, everything has improved. Most importantly, the biggest improvement of all, one could argue, is that safety has come a very, very long way over the past two or three decades.

Take the Halo, it has been an unbelievable improvement in safety for all open-wheel racing under FIA governance. Without it, there would have been some horrific deaths, not only in Formula 1 but perhaps even more so across the junior single-seater categories too.

The Halo is a lifesaver in every sense of the word. And because it’s a lifesaver, it makes the cars so secure that there’s another tenth or two, maybe three, gained in confidence. The fear factor and self-preservation instinct that once haunted drivers simply isn’t as intense as it once was.

Having said that, Verstappen today stands head and shoulders above an incredible array of talent in this current era of our sport, arguably the best lineup of drivers Formula 1 has ever seen. Yet Max would without doubt be top of any team principal’s list by far.

It was the same almost four decades ago when Senna won his first World Championship in 1988 surrounded by formidable drivers like Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and the like, yet Ayrton stood out, head and shoulders above the rest.

His qualifying record was astounding, he pulled laps out of nowhere, at times in inferior cars when the pressure was at its highest, turning hopeless situations into opportunities and wins. Like him or not, everyone at the time acknowledged him as the benchmark and the most respected and feared among his peers.

While Hamilton is always mentioned when the GOAT debate comes up, perhaps statistically he deserves that label, as does Schumacher, but those numbers only tell part of the story. During their heydays, they were the greatest of their time. No question. But Verstappen, for me, has something extra. Something that sets him apart. Something almost alien in the way he drives.

Right now, he’s probably peaking, one might say. But from where I sit, every race weekend he delivers something extraordinary that suggests he hasn’t plateaued yet.

And the fact that he’s happy to step away from the glare of Formula 1 and go pound out laps at the Nürburgring in a GT3 car, once again setting benchmarks, making history and causing jaws to drop, shows just how pure a racer he is.

The same goes for sim racing, tools the likes of Schumacher, Senna and those before them could only dream of. Most who compete in esports will agree unanimously that Verstappen is the most formidable rival they’ve ever faced.

I can say clearly and confidently, he is the most complete racing driver there has ever been. And right now, we are watching Max Verstappen, the GOAT of Formula 1. Savour it. Because there’s a lot more to come.