In winning the 2023 world championship, Verstappen joined a list of 10 other drivers to have won more than two titles.
If Red Bull can maintain its position at the head of the pecking order until the current ruleset ends in 2026, Verstappen would theoretically have five titles – rarefied status in the elite world champions’ club, as only Juan Manuel Fangio, Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have five F1 world titles or more.
As an F1 legend in his own right thanks to car designs he has been involved with winning 25 F1 drivers’ and constructors’ championships in a 40-plus-year motorsport career, Newey is uniquely placed to comment on Verstappen’s position alongside his fellow multi-title winners.
In an exclusive interview with Autosport, Newey initially acknowledge such thoughts were “very difficult – because it’s different areas, different cars etc”.
But he added: “I think Max, like all the truly great drivers, you have the impression that he can drive the car almost subconsciously.
“And that then leaves him with plenty of processing power to think about what the car is doing.
“[That means] how he can modify his driving to suit the car, how he can change the set-up via the electronic tools on the steering wheel to assist him in what he’s trying to achieve at that particular point in the race and the particular deg the tyres are suffering and whatever.
Source: Autosport