WHO IS THE F1 GOAT: ZAK BROWN RANKS AYRTON SENN ABOVE SEVEN-TIME CHAMPION LEWIS HAMILTON
Zak Brown sparks a GOAT debate: Discover why the McLaren CEO ranks Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher above Lewis Hamilton.
People often call Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen two of the best racers ever, but McLaren CEO Zak Brown doesn't think either is in his top two.
Hamilton has won the most in F1, and he and Michael Schumacher (who Brown says is the second-best) both hold the record for seven titles. Juan Manuel Fangio is third with five titles.
Verstappen is tied with Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel with four titles. McLaren's Lando Norris grabbed the 2025 title by only two points, ending Verstappen's four-year run.
Verstappen could have been like Schumacher if he'd won in 2025. Schumacher's still the only racer to win five in a row from 2000 to 2004 for Ferrari. Vettel (2010-2013) and Hamilton (2017-2020) both grabbed four in a row.
Zak Brown thinks Ayrton Senna is the GOAT; prove him wrong
Zak Brown believes Ayrton Senna is the absolute best in F1. Hamilton also has the most Grand Prix wins (105), pole positions (104), and podiums (202). Schumacher is second in each, with 91 wins, 68 poles, and 155 podiums. Verstappen is third for wins (71) and podiums (127) but fifth for poles (48).
Still, Brown thinks Ayrton Senna is the best F1 driver ever. He puts Hamilton and Verstappen behind Schumacher. Senna won three titles before his death at Imola in the 1993 San Marino Grand Prix.
Brown told BAT, Senna is a no-brainer. After that, probably Schumacher. You are wrong. Put Lewis in there, and you have to put Max in there.
But my second favourite is Mario Andretti. I love Mario and the guys who do different things. Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Mario Andretti were IndyCar and Formula 1 world champions. That's why I admire Fernando Alonso so much.
When Alonso was like, 'Let's go to Indy [the Indianapolis 500],' not many F1 racers would be up for it. I think after he started, he was like, 'Oh my God.' It's punishing, 230 miles an hour. It's crazy.
Max Verstappen is becoming part of the F1 GOAT talk.
Senna is third in poles (65), fifth in Grand Prix wins (41), and eighth in podiums (80). He also raced in the fewest Grands Prix: 162 versus Hamilton's 380, Schumacher's 308, and Verstappen's 236.
Senna often shone in qualifying and in the rain. But not everyone agrees with Brown that Senna's the best, as Verstappen is getting much praise.
Senna's ex-teammate Stefan Johansson thinks Verstappen is the best ever since he's the most complete. But some might say Verstappen still has to prove himself in close races against his rivals.
NEW FIA RULES ALLOW MAX VERSTAPPEN TO TAKE DANIEL RICCIARDO’S NUMBER 3 TODAY
Max Verstappen confirms he will use the number 3 in 2026, opting for a fresh start after Lando Norris claimed the World Championship.
Max Verstappen, who’s had the 1 on his car since he became world champ in 2022, won’t be able to keep it. Lando Norris snagged the 2025 title.
Lando Norris has said he’ll use the champion’s 1 in 2026.
Instead of going back to #33, which he used from his debut in 2015 to the end of 2021, Verstappen is starting fresh with #3 next year.
This change is happening because the FIA recently changed the rules, letting drivers switch their permanent numbers mid-career.
“It won’t be number 33,” Verstappen told Viaplay.
“My favourite number has always been 3, besides number 1.
“Now we can switch, so it will be number 3.
“33 was always good, but I like a single 3 better than two 3s. I always said it meant double happiness, but I’ve already had my share of luck in F1.”
This number is also important at Red Bull because Daniel Ricciardo used it for his entire Formula 1 career until he retired in 2024.
Ricciardo began racing with the number in 2014, when drivers could first pick permanent race numbers. He used it even when he and Verstappen were teammates at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018.
Before, Verstappen would have had to wait two whole seasons before Ricciardo’s number was free to use.
But the FIA said that a driver can take a number sooner if the previous owner gives it up. Ricciardo agreed to let Verstappen have the number starting in 2026.
Verstappen was recently spotted with the number 3 above his pit box during a GT test in Portugal, hinting at the decision before the official 2026 entry list comes out later this month.
Verstappen is making this switch as he gets ready for F1’s new set of rules, after losing the 2025 title by a small margin. He finished just two points behind Norris and has a new teammate, Isack Hadjar, who's been promoted from Racing Bulls.
RECORD VS. RIVALRY: DOES BEATING MAX VERSTAPPEN TRULY MATTER TO LANDO NORRIS
Lando Norris claims his first F1 title isn't about individual ego. Is his focus on family and team the secret to his 2025 success?
Lando Norris says winning the F1 title over Max Verstappen isn't about personal happiness for him. What matters is the joy it brings to his family and team.
The McLaren racer insists he doesn't care about beating Verstappen by just a few points to grab his first championship, even though it meant taking the crown from the four-time champ.
Norris got the third-place finish he needed at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win the title, even though Verstappen won the race. Norris isn't interested in debates about who's better after that.
This goes for Oscar Piastri, too, after they battled it out all season at McLaren. Norris edged him out by 13 points in the end.
People can argue about who deserved the title or had a better year. At the end of the day, the record books will show Norris as the champ.
After winning at the Yas Marina Circuit, the 26-year-old told reporters, including RacingNews365, that his goal isn't to prove he's better than anyone else.
He said that it does not make him happy, and he is not going to wake up happy because he beat Max.
He honestly does not care if every article questions if he is better, or Oscar is better, because it does not matter to him and he has no interest in that.
Norris said what will make him happy is the positive effect it will have on the people closest to him, who've supported him on his way to becoming an F1 champ.
He did what he needed to do to win the world championship, and that is how he made his people happy which is all he really cares about.
Norris closed by saying that he is not going to wake up happy because he is the world champion but because his family and friends are happy, and that's all he needs in his life.