F1 News

Verstappen is being compared to Federer and Michael Jordan

Red Bull technical director praises Verstappen for doing the 'impossible'

13 August at 11:00
  • Renate van Holst

Pierre Wache, technical director of Red Bull Racing, is full of praise for Max Verstappen, placing him in the same category as sporting legends such as Roger Federer and Michael Jordan. In an interview with Crash.net, Wache expressed his admiration for the Dutch driver.

Verstappen compared to Federer

"Some people can do things no one else can. I don't know exactly how or why, but it's what Max can do," he said. According to Wache, Red Bull owes a lot to the skills and feedback of both Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez, which enables the team to make the car faster. 


"It is a challenge to make a car so fast that the driver can use it to its full potential. If I were behind the wheel myself, I wouldn't be able to get the same performance out of it. The cars are controlled in a very specific way by the driver, and how he handles them is crucial."


This is precisely where Verstappen excels, according to Wache. "He is like Roger Federer, like Michael Jordan. People like this can do things that seem impossible for others," Wache continued. "The driver is the ultimate controller in the car, and Max has the capacity to control it in a way that is unique."

This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.