The turn of the decade led motorsports fans worldwide to chant the names of two drivers. In the United States, it was Kyle Larson and across the pond in Europe, it was Max Verstappen. Both these drivers burst into 2021 and won their first championships in NASCAR and in Formula 1. Since then, they’ve dominated racing in a way very few before them have done. This begs the question, who amongst them is the better race car driver?
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Since his debut title, Verstappen has gone to be named the F1 champion two more times with Red Bull Racing. Larson, on the other hand, has accumulated seven Cup Series victories and an All-Star race win along with mighty success in sprint cars. Regardless of how deep one digs, the numbers of both these drivers are more or less the same type of top cream in their distinct worlds.
So, the words of someone who has rich racing experience in both these worlds can be a strong attestment to where each stands. Alexander Rossi is currently Larson’s IndyCar Series teammate at Arrow McLaren and has raced against Verstappen in the European circuits. He tells AP, “I would say they’re on the same level. Which is like, yeah, that’s a pretty big deal.”
Where Larson gets the upper hand in this debate is in the category of versatility. To prove oneself to be a “best” racer car driver in the world, success in different disciplines is the most obvious prerequisite. And that is something the Hendrick Motorsports superstar has mastered. From midgets and stocks to open wheel racing in the Indy 500 this weekend, he has done and dusted them all.
Kyle Larson’s incredible work ethic and his opinion on comparisons with Max Verstappen
A global search for a driver with a calendar as busy as Larson’s will be fruitless. He is scheduled to drive in eight races across multiple disciplines in the month of May alone. The goal that is pushing him to work so hard is to create the tallest legacy he can of himself before retirement comes knocking. With such ambitions as fuel and the hunger to be called the best, what is his point-of-view on the comparisons with Verstappen?
“I can’t beat him in an F1 car!” he told AP on Monday, aghast at the idea. “And I bet he can beat me in an Indy car, just based off his street and road course experience. I mean, I hope I can beat him in a sprint car.” Following words that most NASCAR fans would agree as unreasonable humbleness, Larson expressed that comparing him with the F1 champion was a pointless exercise.
“I don’t understand how this can even be a thing. If you don’t run multiple disciplines, how can anyone say you are the best?” he concluded, pointing out his criteria to be considered the top dog.
Notably, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will be attempting the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day this weekend. Should he end up winning both the races across the two disciplines, he will have made a strong case to place the crown on his head over Verstappen’s.
