Not Lewis Hamilton, but Max Verstappen Crowned as the Tiger Woods of F1 by Frustrated Ex-F1 Icon

Ignoring the mechanical failure that cost Max Verstappen the Australian Grand Prix, he remains unbeaten so far in 2024. The Dutchman cruised away with a race win again at Suzuka to increase his championship advantage to 13 points over his teammate Sergio Perez. However, it was not something out of the ordinary.

However, with Verstappen’s dominant wins, it’s understandable that some fans have begun to find the sport boring. But that is a sentiment that former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst, Johnny Herbert, finds a little annoying. He recently dismissed these concerns and compared Max to the golf legend Tiger Woods.

Herbert believes that Formula 1 fans should celebrate Verstappen’s excellence just like golf fans celebrated Wood’s dominating performance. When Wood was at his peak between 1999 and 2009, he managed to maintain an average of 5.8 wins per season and claimed the Player of the Year award nine times. His dominance extended to major championships, where he won 13 out of 35 tournaments. And while it’s not a direct comparison, Verstappen’s dominance is evident by the fact that only two other drivers have been able to win a race other than Max since the start of the 2023 season.

According to a recent report from formule1.nl, Herbert was quoted as he spoke, “When Tiger Woods was at the top of his game, we all enjoyed it. His skills were phenomenal. We could see it all and it was still fascinating to see every shot he made. Tiger Woods was the Max Verstappen of the golf world between 2000 and 2010. The American won almost everything there was to win.” [Translated by Google]

Herbert also says that other teams should focus on catching up with Red Bull instead of complaining about Verstappen’s dominance. “Behind him, it is very tight between the other drivers,” he added. “But there is only one man who is so dominant. It is a unique skill. You can’t say it’s boring.”

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And this isn’t the first time someone has compared Max Verstappen to Tiger Woods either. Former Ferrari boss, Peter Windsor, has done the same in the recent past.

Peter Windsor believes Liberty Media should capitalize on Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance

When Verstappen was asked directly if he thinks Red Bull’s winning streak has become boring and mundane for the fans, he didn’t mince any words in calling out the critics. He simply said that if people can’t appreciate the level of hard work needed to dominate in Formula 1 then they aren’t true fans of the sport.

And there is no real evidence to suggest that F1’s popularity is fading away due to Verstappen either, as Peter Windsor pointed out in his recent appearance on the Cameron F1 podcast. When asked about the risk to F1’s viewership if Max Verstappen and Red Bull continue to win, Peter said, “I don’t agree with that. I think Liberty [Media] have the ability to make Max… If Max dominates over the next two years I think Liberty has the ability to make that something that is golden to Formula 1 in the same way that Tiger Woods’s dominance was golden to Golf. And I think Liberty will capitalize on that rather than see it as a burden. And so far the evidence suggests that that is the case because he’s been dominating for the last three years and Formula 1 isn’t exactly going downhill.”

What are your thoughts on the matter? Have you found Verstappen’s dominance boring? Share your insights in the comments down below.