Can Verstappen win eight titles? 'Depends on his will to race'

Asked if he had expected Red Bull's dominance, Massa said at La Gazzetta Della Sport: "Already in the winter tests we saw how far ahead they were. The only hope for the show is that they have some technical defects or that there is a battle between the teammates." However, the 2008 vice-world champion immediately questions the latter again. "I have the impression that Perez can take a few wins and drive a good World Championship, but Verstappen's level is impressive."

Will Verstappen break record?

Verstappen, if his 33-year-old Mexican teammate fails to keep the pressure on for 23 Grand Prix weekends in a row, seems to be on his way to his third consecutive Formula 1 world title. This would put him on a par with legend Ayrton Senna. The record is still held by Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. They both grabbed seven world championships in their F1 careers.

Verstappen is still only 25 years old and therefore has at least another decade to go. The (engine) regulations do not change significantly again until 2026, so there are plenty of opportunities for Max to string together many more world titles. Massa, therefore does not rule out Verstappen winning eight world titles or more in the future.

"He is very young, he is on his way to a third title, and with Red Bull he can win almost every race on the calendar, and there are a huge number of them. It will just depend on his will to race for many more years. But he has every chance of breaking Lewis' and Michael's records," Massa said. Verstappen has said several times that he may have already signed his last contract in the king class of motorsport. The Dutchman's current contract at Red Bull runs until 2028.