Max Verstappen F1: Red Bull star's ability challenged by NASCAR's Kyle Larson in WILD claim

Max Verstappen in Budapest — Photo: © IMAGO

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Verstappen ability challenged by fellow champion in WILD claim

Who is the best driver of them all?

Rhys Thomas

Friday 16 August 2024 11:57

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Max Verstappen's racing talents have been called into question by another motorsport champion.

The Red Bull ace has dominated Formula 1 in recent years, and is well on his way to becoming a quadruple world champion in 2024.

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The Dutchman reached the pinnacle of motorsport after just a year driving single seater cars, and his record as the youngest winner of a grand prix at 18 years and 228 days is a marker of his masterful control behind the wheel.

However, that and his success since has not fazed a fellow racing champion, who appears to have laid down a challenge to Verstappen.

Max Verstappen is a three-time world champion at Red Bull

Max Verstappen leads the F1 standings... but is he the best driver in the world?

Is Max Verstappen the best driver in the world?

It is difficult to compare drivers across the various motorsport series, though 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Kyle Larson has made an effort to do so, claiming he has no doubts about who is the stronger driver between himself and Verstappen.

"I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver,” Larson asserted when asked by FloRacing about the F1 champion.

Like Verstappen, Larson is the current championship leader in his series, and has 27 wins to his name in NASCAR.

“There’s no way (Verstappen) can get into a Sprint Car and win the Knoxville Nationals. There’s no way he can go win the Chili Bowl. There’s no way he can go win a Cup race at Bristol,” Larson continued.

NASCAR's Kyle Larson raced the 2024 Indy 500

But could Larson outclass Verstappen in a more familiar setting for the Red Bull man. By his own admission, no... probably.

“There’s probably no way I can go win a Formula 1 race at Monaco, but I think I’d have a better shot at him (doing what he does than him doing what I do) just because of the car element," he argued.

“That’s what gives me ease and confidence that, like, I know I’m better than him. Maybe not in an open-wheel IndyCar or Formula 1 car, but that’s one discipline. I think I would beat him in everything else. You can quote that.”

Larson did make his debut in IndyCar earlier this year at the Indy 500, though perhaps needs some more experience in open wheel racing before he feels comfortable enough to believe he could beat Verstappen.

The Red Bull driver has never raced a stock car, so would surely need some practice in that discipline before being able to contemplate racing a NASCAR legend.

Is Larson is laying down a cross-motorsport challenge for his F1 counterpart? A race, or series of races, between the pair could settle the debate, but it seems unlikely to materialise given the busy schedules of the duo.

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Formula 1 Adrian Newey