Amsterdam, Netherlands — Max Verstappen was spending his Formula One summer vacation with friends and family, while Kyle Larson of NASCAR was fueling the controversies surrounding the Dutchman’s racing prowess.
It was two weeks ago, following his triumph in the Knoxville Nationals sprint car event, that Larson declared himself to be “better than (Verstappen) as an all-around driver.”
According to floracing.com, Larson stated that although he did not anticipate defeating Verstappen in open-wheel cars, “I think I would beat him in everything else,” he did not think the Dutchman could beat him in sprint or stock car races. You may use that as a quote.
It was quoted, which led to a great deal of debate about the relative superiority of Verstappen, the three-time F1 world champion, and Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion who made an impression in his Indianapolis 500 debut earlier this year with McLaren.
Verstappen was silent in response to Larson’s remarks on Thursday, the day before the Dutch Grand Prix.
When Verstappen heard those remarks, he just grinned and replied, “That is okay. I mean, everyone has their own opinions, right?
Verstappen would much rather concentrate on his own results than pay attention to what other drivers have to say or think about him. With a record 19 victories in 22 races last year, it is a technique that has paid off, making him one of the finest drivers of his generation, if not F1 history.
However, it ignores Verstappen’s interest in other sports to think that he can only be successful and productive in Formula One. Since graduating from go-karts in 2014, Verstappen has only competed in single-seater races. In Formula Three, he lasted a single year before entering Formula One the following year, where he broke a record as the youngest driver in the history of the sport. His attention has since shifted to Formula One, where he has set records in both race wins and titles.
Verstappen’s goal is to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans one day with his father, Jos, who was an F1 racer from 1994 to 2003. He expressed interest in racing the current class of Hypercars at Le Mans as late as June, but he stated that he would like the regulations to be changed to better balance the cars’ performance because he thought it was currently “a bit hit-and-miss.”
Over the years, Verstappen has also conducted fun-only private testing of a few GT (grand tourer) sportscars. And that is not even accounting for his intense passion in sim racing, in which he frequently participates with Team Redline in the largest competitions in the world, sometimes even the same weekend as Formula One. He does this by using his motorhome as a base of operations for his sim racing equipment.
Larson’s claim to be an all-arounder is supported by his accomplishments in sports outside of NASCAR. The most notable story in American motorsports this year has been his run in the Indianapolis 500 back in May, which was part of his bid to complete a “double” with NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600. Despite being penalized for speeding in the pit lane, the first attempt was remarkable as they qualified fifth and finished 18th.
Kyle Larson’s attempt at the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 “double” was the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s latest foray into other forms of racing. (James Gilbert / Getty Images)
Although Verstappen is eager to experiment in different classes in the future, he acknowledged that the number of races scheduled this year makes it “very challenging to mix with F1 at the moment.” This is also the reason why Verstappen expressed reservations on Thursday that he will still be competing in Formula One in another 200 races, as he celebrated his 200th grand prix at Zandvoort this weekend.
“For sure, once I stop in Formula One, I would like to do other stuff a bit more,” Verstappen said. “Of course (it would be) relaxed, less races in general, but by relaxed I mean that you also have a bit more (time at) home.
“Because I know that once I compete in something, I want to be good, I want to win. But let’s see what opportunities will come by.”
It is difficult to fully accept Larson’s allegation until Verstappen is able to test out other categories with the same level of commitment he has shown to Formula One.
Given the length and non-stop nature of the NASCAR schedule, Larson also has a demanding racing schedule. However, he finds it easier to switch to other categories due to the midweek scheduling of other sprint car events and the United States’ more advantageous geography than the Formula One racing series.
Fernando Alonso is the only driver on the Formula One grid who has actually pursued racing in other categories in an effort to establish himself as an all-arounder. And he had to temporarily pull out of Formula One in order to fully chase them.
In order to compete for McLaren, Alonso skipped the Monaco Grand Prix in 2017 in favor of the Indianapolis 500. He led the early going and finished fifth in the qualifying before retiring with an engine problem. He left Formula One at the conclusion of 2018 to concentrate on other competitions, especially sportscar racing, where he won the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans twice with Toyota.
As part of his quest to become one of racing’s greatest all-arounders, Alonso participated the Dakar Rally, one of the toughest races in the world, which takes place over the course of two weeks in the Saudi desert, prior to returning to the Formula One World Championship in 2021. In his debut, he placed 13th.
Alonso could not help but draw attention to himself when he heard Larson’s remarks against Verstappen, which included mentioning that Alonso’s involvement in other sports put him in a good position to comment.
“I don’t know,” Alonso said. “I think Max is quite good in GTs as well, and I bet he’s good in everything …” Never short of self-confidence, he then added with a laugh: “But he’s still not as good as me.” Alonso did clarify that he meant across other categories, not F1, later adding: “In F1, I said he’s the same.”
The adaptation across disciplines was a challenge Alonso previously relished and felt was underestimated. “You need to adapt very quickly to different disciplines,” Alonso said. “Oval racing is one thing, a completely independent technique and deriving skills. (In the) Dakar Rally, pressing the throttle and the brake at the same time for six hours, just dominating the car, it’s not easy to adapt.”
Verstappen already believes that the number of races on the F1 calendar is excessive, therefore it seems unlikely that further races or disciplines would be added at this time. However, it also highlights the trait that has propelled him to such prominence in Formula One since his 2015 debut: his unwavering devotion to being the greatest at what he does.
Verstappen also finds it challenging to draw parallels between different series for this reason. During the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen stated that “everyone is good in their own right” and that the only way to improve in other areas was to study under the best. The motorsport streamer Ash Vandelay conducted the interview.
“You learn from better people, you have the experience, that’s how you then progress,” Verstappen said. “That’s why this debate of this guy is better than this one, really you don’t know. Everyone is good in their own right.”
When the time comes for Verstappen and Larson to put up their helmets and retire, they will both rank among the greatest of all time in their respective sports.
Maybe that is enough without pinning one above the other.
(Top photo of Max Verstappen on Thursday at the Dutch Grand Prix: Clive Rose / Getty Images)
