F1 News
Ex-Ferrari driver compares: Was Schumacher or Verstappen most dominant?
- Toby McLuskie
Actually, it is impossible to compare periods in Formula 1 and drivers from the past and the present: different circumstances and different competitors. On the basis of rock-hard figures, however, it is very plausible to say that Max Verstappen was by far the best last season, just as Michael Schumacher totally dominated the sport, especially in the year 2002.
In that '02 season, Schumacher managed to finish on the podium in all seventeen Grands Prix. Except for one - the Malaysia race - the German even finished first or second. With almost double the number two points (teammate Rubens Barrichello), Schumacher captured his then-fifth world title. His team Ferrari was obviously the best constructor.
That year bore strong similarities to last season, in which Red Bull Racing was unbeatable. The Austrian team took all but one Grand Prix win, and finished with Verstappen and Perez in the top two spots in the drivers' championship, Luciano Burti also saw. The Brazilian competed in Formula 1 for Jaguar and Prost and was also a test driver for Ferrari in 2002.
Burti saw Schumacher up close at work
"My memory is that it was not all that easy," said Burti - now an F1 commentator- in a podcast hosted by his employer O Globo. "I remember Schumacher had to put in a lot of effort to achieve things sometimes. I don't feel it was as dominant as Red Bull was this year."
"Under normal circumstances, he (Verstappen) didn't have to put in as much effort as I saw Schumacher put in at times. Looking at this year, I think Verstappen's dominance was bigger," Burti said.