Prost: 'The old Verstappen is gone after that great battle with Hamilton'

Verstappen knocks on Prost's door

Verstappen is on a par with Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart and father-in-law Nelson Piquet for the number of World titles. Verstappen, in his RB19, is unbeatable and until the rules change it will remain extremely difficult for the competition. Prost makes this claim in a column for French sports magazine L'Equipe. The Frenchman said winning multiple titles is reserved for the greatest drivers.

Prost: "Only a few big names have achieved that. What makes Verstappen so great is his ability on how to develop and never give up. He always wants more. He has undoubtedly succeeded in becoming a great driver. But what makes him even greater in my eyes is that he has learned to become one with the sport and his team. He strives for perfection every day."

Fight with Hamilton made Verstappen great

He went on to say Verstappen has changed and he knows the exact moment of that change. With Verstappen, according to Prost, you no longer hear the sputtering and anger of a boy who once made mistakes and sometimes ended up in the wall. Prost: "No, this Max disappeared after 2021, after that great fight with Lewis Hamilton. I won't talk about the controversial final in Abu Dhabi, but I will talk about the way he and his Red Bull came together during the fight with Mercedes all season."

What Prost will say about it is that Verstappen has found confidence and assurance since beating Hamilton: "That first title made him stronger. Since then he has calmed down, except in his pursuit of perfection." In conclusion, "It's a bad sign for the competition, because it won't stop anytime soon. The next two years without rule changes are not going to change much. And even from 2026 - because he and his team are very talented - they will rise to the challenge and at least compete for the title."