Former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has dismissed Jeremy Clarkson’s assertion that Max Verstappen could be the “greatest of all time” (GOAT), arguing that the sport has evolved too much over the years for such comparisons to be valid.
Max Verstappen is closing in on his fourth World Championship title this season, with the Red Bull driver maintaining a strong lead despite a late challenge from Lando Norris in his McLaren. The Brazilian Grand Prix saw the gap between Verstappen and Norris narrow significantly, as the Dutch driver faced increased pressure. However, Verstappen’s impressive wet-weather driving skills came to the forefront in Sao Paulo, where he charged through the field to secure a victory that put him in a commanding position for the title.
Following his win in Brazil, Clarkson, the well-known British TV host, sparked debate by suggesting that Verstappen might already be the greatest driver in F1 history. However, Villeneuve strongly disagreed with Clarkson’s view, emphasizing that comparing drivers across different eras is impossible.
In an interview with Grosvenor Sport, Villeneuve explained, “How can Jeremy Clarkson say Max Verstappen is the greatest of all time? He had a great season when he beat Lewis [Hamilton] for his first championship. Then he’s had the same way that Lewis won his first one. Then he’s had easy ones, the same way Lewis had easy ones. And this year he’s been fighting back. So this year has been a great year. You cannot compare the era of Fangio to now. They are different eras. So you cannot say any of them is the greatest of all time. The sport has changed too much.”
Despite his reservations about the “GOAT” debate, Villeneuve believes Verstappen has the potential to match the achievements of F1 legends like Michael Schumacher. Villeneuve remarked, “Max Verstappen definitely has what it takes to match Schumacher’s titles. Max is still hungry and competitive and always goes for the win. He doesn’t get brought down. With the right situation, he will always be there to win a championship. The same way that Alonso could have had seven championships.”
Villeneuve further acknowledged the near-misses of drivers like Fernando Alonso and Schumacher, noting, “Look how often Alonso got close with Ferrari. Take Schumacher, he could have had three instead of seven. But he could have had even more. Sometimes it’s close, and there’s a few drivers out there that don’t have the amount of championships they probably deserved with their talent. Max has won every championship that he could have won. He hasn’t missed one so far.”
As the season heads towards its final races, Verstappen will be aiming to secure his fourth World Championship at the Las Vegas GP. If he finishes ahead of Lando Norris, he could achieve this milestone, further solidifying his place among F1’s elite.
