Verstappen could beat Senna and Schumacher - Jordan

Eddie Jordan has made the audacious claim that he believes in equal machinery, Max Verstappen could beat both Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

Whilst this hypothetical race will never take place, the former F1 team boss thinks so highly of Verstappen that he feels he could beat two of the championship's great drivers in a head-to-head contest.

The 76-year-old wagers that due to his experience and how "solid" he is as a driver, Verstappen would "edge it" against the legendary pair.

Having matched Senna's three world championships last season, the Dutchman also surpassed the Brazilian's 41 grand prix victories in 2023. However, he still has some way to go to equal Schumacher's tally of seven drivers' titles and 91 race wins.

"I honestly believe hand-on-heart, that if you could get [Ayrton] Senna, [Michael] Schumacher and Max [Verstappen] in the same cars, in the same race, in a given moment, I think Max would edge it," Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast, which he co-hosts with ex-F1 driver David Coulthard - who replaced Senna at Williams after his untimely death and raced against Schumacher for more than a decade.

"I really think Max would edge it, because I think he's that good. He's so solid. He's been racing for a very long time."

Verstappen success due to his mother, as well as his father

Comparing great drivers from different eras is almost impossible in F1, given the rate of change and the development of the championship. However, Jordan was quick to highlight his proximity to the careers of both Senna and Schumacher.

"I was lucky enough in 1982, finding a guy called Da Silva - gave him his first drive in Silverstone in a Formula 3 car... in fact... we went to Macau in '83, and this guy Da Silva won the race, and he changed his name to Senna. So yes, I've had Senna in the car. Yes, I've had Michael Schumacher in a car," he remarked.

To Jordan, racing is in Verstappen's blood, and with his comments coming after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the Irishman highlighted the impressive defensive display in the final laps that allowed the 26-year-old to hold on for victory - something Jordan feels was "never in any doubt" despite the pressure applied by Lando Norris.

"Don't forget that it's not all about his dad, who drove from me, as well. But his mother actually is just the best karting... she was absolutely an institution. She was amazing. So it's in his blood from day one, and I think Max is unflustered," he added, speaking to the career of Sophie Kumpen. 

"And to the race that we had in Imola. I was never in any doubt. I really have to say, because he's got big wide elbows - there was never a chance that Norris was going to pass."