Max Verstappen is currently 78 points clear at the top of the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings (Image: GETTY)
A NASCAR star who claimed he is a “better all-around driver” than Max Verstappen has been told he’ll be “crying in a corner” if he ever goes head-to-head with the three-time F1 world champion on a race track. Kyle Larson made the audacious statement after winning his third Knoxville Nationals event in four attempts.
Verstappen is already widely regarded as one of the best drivers in F1 history at the age of 26 following a period of unrivalled dominance on the track.
The Dutchman narrowly pipped Lewis Hamilton to the title in 2021 before blowing his competition out of the water to cruise to two more championship successes in 2022 and 2023.
Following his latest NASCAR triumph, Larson spoke out about Verstappen as he exclaimed: “I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver.
“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 just because of the car element.
“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.”
Kyle Larson made an audacious claim about F1 superstar Max Verstappen (Image: GETTY)
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Larson was ultimately shot down for his comments by Dutch racer turned F1 analyst Tom Coronel, who explained: “If you say that, then I don’t think you know what’s going on in the world besides that bubble he’s in in America.
“If you think you’re better than Max Verstappen, I’d actually really like to have a match between them, because you’re going to lose. Max in those GT cars also goes bellowing, in the sim, with everything.
“Kyle, sorry, but I think you are wrong in life. Then you haven’t understood what driving a car is at all. Two practice sessions for Max and then Kyle is going to cry in a corner somewhere.”
Verstappen was in formidable form at the start of the current F1 season as he won seven of the first 10 races to build what appeared to be an unassailable lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship leaderboard.
But his Red Bull car has faltered at recent Grands Prix, with Mercedes and McLaren now joining Ferrari in competing for victories after years in the wilderness. And Verstappen saw his lead cut to 78 points ahead of the summer break.
Verstappen will still be confident of landing a fourth consecutive title when the F1 season resumes at the end of the month. But with nine Grands Prix remaining this year, the race for silverware is no longer a foregone conclusion.
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