As Max Verstappen approaches his fourth consecutive drivers' championship, accolades are pouring in for the Dutchman.
Verstappen amazed the paddock with his climb from P17 to victory at Interlagos, extending his points lead over McLaren's Lando Norris to near-insurmountable levels.
"McLaren has to admit that the world championship train for Lando Norris has left the station," former F1 driver Timo Glock told Sky Deutschland. "That is clear to everyone now."
With his victory in Brazil, Verstappen, 27, even surpassed Michael Schumacher's record of leading the championship for almost 900 consecutive days.
Among those impressed was Lewis Hamilton, who wrote on Verstappen's Instagram post: "Amazing drive, congrats."
"Ok, Max still has a long way to go before he reaches Michael's seven titles and 91 victories," Glock added. "But in terms of his qualities when driving in the rain and his qualities as a racer, Max can already be put on a par."
Damon Hill, a frequent recent critic of Verstappen, also acknowledged the remarkable nature of Sunday's race in Brazil. "I think we just have to note that Damon said something positive," joked Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport described Verstappen's drive as "one of the most legendary performances in Formula 1," drawing comparisons to Ayrton Senna. "He won with playful ease, defying the laws of physics braking for the first corner - just ask Oscar Piastri or Esteban Ocon."
When asked about comparisons to legends like Schumacher and Senna, Horner said: "It's so hard to compare generations, but after the race Bernie (Ecclestone) rang me and said 'I've seen all the greats, but Max is one of the best I've ever seen.'"
"Bernie is a lot older than me and has seen a lot more," Horner added. "To hear something like that from someone like Bernie means a lot."
Dutch racing personality Tom Coronel noted Verstappen's dominance at Red Bull, suggesting it has made it almost impossible for any teammate to compete effectively.
"I wish Max's new teammate the best of luck," he said, "because if you end up next to him, your career is actually over."
