Max Verstappen is nearing the ‘GOAT’ status in F1 and has taken Red Bull to new heights, which makes him one of the most influential figures in the sport’s history. Pierre Wache — the technical director at the Milton-Keynes-based outfit — holds the Dutchman in the same regard as two of the most iconic sportspersons of all time.
Wache compares Verstappen‘s achievements to those of Roger Federer and NBA legend, Michael Jordan — two athletes who changed the game in their respective sports.
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam winner in tennis is considered by many to be the greatest of all time, similar to Jordan in basketball. The latter single-handedly kickstarted a sporting dynasty with the Chicago Bulls, winning six NBA Championships.
“These types of athletes are able to do things that no one else can do,” Wache tells Crash.net.
Thank you all for the amazing support last weekend Always a pleasure @SpaGrandPrix #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/1sHiUPjDVS
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) July 29, 2024
The Frenchman fails to understand how Verstappen does things others can’t copy. “His feedback is very interesting,” he adds. “Because he manages the car at the limit, like no one else does.”
Wache’s comments come amidst Verstappen’s increasing struggles at Red Bull. His results are not so bad, but the RB20 is not as strong as its predecessors, which is affecting Verstappen’s mood.
The 26-year-old is getting impatient for effective upgrades to the car, failing which the team could lose the Championship come the end of the 2024 season.
Red Bull’s troubles not going away any time soon
Helmut Marko recently broke out some bad news for Verstappen. Red Bull’s chief advisor acknowledged that the upgrades the team brought to Hungary handicapped them and that they were thinking of a solution.
But for now, that is all they can do because, during the summer break, teams cannot work on their cars. Thus, Red Bull will have to bite the bullet with the troubled RB20 for a few races after the break.
Marko revealed that the balance of the car — which has been the biggest issue — would not be rectified in time for the Dutch GP. As such, Verstappen would have his work cut out for him if he wants to win his home race for the fourth year in a row.
