F1 News
Verstappen or Larson the best driver? 'He wins in four out of five classes'
- Ludo van Denderen
Ever since Kyle Larson openly stated that he considers himself a better all-round driver than Max Verstappen, there has been a fierce debate, especially online: Who is the better of the two? James Hinchcliffe, former IndyCar driver and current F1 commentator, has had his say, and he believes that Larson is no match for Verstappen.
Larson is a driver who likes to make striking statements. Last year, for example, the NASCAR driver told us that he might not beat Verstappen in Formula 1 or Indycar, but he would in all other racing classes. However, Hinchcliffe disagrees, speaking on the Red Flags podcast.
The Canadian claims to have a lot of respect for Larson. But despite that, he still sees the American to be a way behind Verstappen: "If you want to see who's the best, you take the top five series in the world. So let's say it's F1 or IndyCar, like a high downforce open-wheel car. A stock car. We'll say a sports car, a prototype sports car. A GT-style sports car. And then a rally car. Across those five disciplines, Max will win in four," believes the driver, who himself is racing the 24 Hours of Daytona at the end of the month.
Hinchcliffe finds Verstappen's qualities 'unique'
If five cars used in the various NASCAR series were chosen, Hinchcliffe believes Larson would win from Verstappen every time. "But if we're looking at all the top levels of motorsport across the globe, his skill set is so unique to what he does," he said.
"He does it better than 99.9% of professionals. But to try and compare to what Max does or what he would be capable of in those particular cars, it's not even a conversation," Hinchcliffe concludes.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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