F1 legend Alain Prost has welcomed three-time world champion Max Verstappen to a “very exclusive club” of Grand Prix drivers.
Verstappen’s triumph last weekend in the Mexican Grand Prix – his 51st in Formula 1 – put the Red Bull driver on a par with Prost in terms of overall race wins and among a group of five drivers who have achieved at least 51 victories in the sport.
Ahead of Verstappen and Prost in the victory ranking are Sebastian Vettel (53), Michael Schumacher (91) and of course Lewis Hamilton who remains at the top of the pyramid with 103 wins.
“There are five people with at least that number of victories,” Prost told French daily L’Equipe. “Five in the history of Formula 1.
“I am not ashamed to say that I am proud to be in that list. My story is over but it was beautiful, and Max's is being written now and is just as beautiful, in his own way."
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Verstappen, who enjoyed a mercurial rise through the junior ranks to join the grid in 2015 with Toro Rosso as the youngest ever driver to debut in F1 – at 17 years and 166 days – has accumulated his win tally over a period of almost nine seasons.
The Dutchman was also the sport’s youngest winner – at 18 years and 228 days – when he took the checkered flag at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in 2016.
During his stellar career in F1, on his way to his four world titles, Prost became the outright holder of the greatest number of victories in the sport.
But the 68-year-old Frenchman admits that seeing his record equaled and then surpassed wasn’t easy.
"For Max, getting to 51 is just a number. I was already the first, and I knew that record would be broken,” he said. "That is always more painful.
“But even then I saw it coming. I was able to prepare.
“Michael won everything. [Juan Manuel] Fangio's five titles meant nothing to me.
“On the other hand, the number of victories did hurt a bit, but let's not exaggerate, I didn't cry about it. But I would be lying if I said I didn't feel anything that day.
"It just happened,” Prost added. “Because anyway if you are no longer first, it doesn't matter if you are second, third or even fourth.
“If you look at the list now, there aren't really any checkpoints. The numbers don't lie. Max joins Hamilton, Schumacher and Vettel."
Prost said that he is looking forward to congratulating Verstappen on his landmark achievement when he attends F1’s season finale in Abu Dhabi later this month.
“I will tell him that he has already joined a very exclusive club and that that is already an achievement,” he said.
“I will also tell him that he is a driver I appreciate for his determination and talent. And finally, I will tell him that I am not jealous or sad to be beaten by a sportsman of his level.”
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