F1 world champion on why drivers don't reach Verstappen 'level'
F1 world champion on why drivers don't reach Verstappen 'level'
1997 Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has said that Max Verstappen's desire to live and breathe racing is what puts him ahead of his F1 rivals, stating that other drivers 'do a bunch of other things' off the track.
Verstappen cruised to his third consecutive world championship title in 2023, destroying his rivals and breaking a hatful of records along the way.
He has now won 34 races in the last two seasons, a staggering statistic that has put him into third in the all-time list of race winners, and backs up quite how dominant both he and Red Bull have been.
The Dutchman has previously stated that he could quit the sport at an earlier age than the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, citing quite how much work he has to put into being world champion.
'Red Bull aren't too far ahead'
Now, Villeneuve has agreed that Verstappen goes above and beyond for his love of racing, and that is what puts him above the rest.
“Red Bull is not that far ahead,” he told PlanetF1.
“When they got all their poles, it was a tenth, half a tenth… super close! So that’s not domination.
“That’s not the years of Mercedes when they were a second ahead of everyone, and everybody was OK with that – there was not an issue.
“Max makes the difference because he’s at it 24 hours a day. He’s never getting tired. He gets out for the race car, and he’s still thinking about racing. That’s all that exists," he continued.
“On the simulator, go-karts, whatever. I don’t see the other drivers doing that. Maybe [Fernando] Alonso a bit but, all the other ones, they’re busy doing other things. They get out of the car and they do a bunch of other things.
“If they all focused like Max, then maybe they would be at Max’s level.”
READ MORE: Verstappen admits IGNORING calls from Red Bull supremo
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Ferrari bound Bearman set to make key F1 move
- 1 minute ago
F1 News Today: Verstappen delivers MAJOR Newey warning as Hamilton hints at Ferrari swoop
- 48 minutes ago
F1 decision announced regarding points system change
- 1 hour ago
Verstappen sent Horner CLEAR message before Newey bombshell
- 2 hours ago
Horner admits Red Bull star may NEVER return to team
- 3 hours ago
F1 team OFFICIALLY confirms signing of new lead driver
- Today 08:57
Related news
Verstappen takes F1 swipe at Hamilton and rivals with ruthless remark
Incredible statistic puts Verstappen AHEAD of Hamilton record
Horner reveals 'unhuman' Verstappen secret
Stats show SURPRISE F1 team dominate in crucial category
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860