One of the most successful drivers in motorsport history, Mario Andretti holds a rare feat, only held by one other driver than him. He has won a race in the F1, Indycar, NASCAR, and World Sportscar Championship. Naturally, Andretti knows a thing or two about champions. In a recent interview, Mario complimented Max Verstappen for defending his crown and believes he’ll rule the grid for some time.

Talking to told Sky Sports F1, Andretti told why he believes Max Verstappen is the perfect champion material. Max has won 12 races in the season so far, asserting his dominance on the grid.

Andretti further mentioned that Verstappen defending his crown after last year’s fiasco will help the Dutchman. He claimed that Max dominated the entire season and is the perfect example of a world champion.

Apart from that, Mario also believes the Red Bull driver can dominate F1 for the foreseeable future like Sebastian Vettel. He said, “Max is where he needs to be right now, he’s complete. His racecraft is superb, a lot of credit to the team.” Andretti further stated, “He’s a tough one to beat and it seems like he is there for the foreseeable future for sure.”

He added, “If everything works, then you are almost unbeatable. It will remain so for the foreseeable future.”

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Max Verstappen will seek his record-equaling 13th GP win of the season in Austin next week as F1 returns with the US GP.

2X World Champion Max Verstappen given a harsh Lewis Hamilton reality check

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has warned Max Verstappen to not get too ahead of himself and focus on the present. Ralf stated that Max definitely has the talent and the caliber to match Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher‘s records, but he is far away from them at present.

Schumacher wrote in his Sky Germany column, “Even though he’s only 25 years old, I think it’s a bit premature to think about tackling the records set by Lewis Hamilton and Michael. I’m assuming that Verstappen isn’t up to it just yet.” [Translated from Google Translate]

He further wrote, “That’s still a long way off. In terms of driving ability, of course, he can definitely do that, there’s no doubt about that. But we also know that in Formula 1 it also depends on factors that the driver cannot always influence.”

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2 titles in 2 years will surely have boosted Max Verstappen’s confidence and belief to achieve more. Former F1 champion Mario Andretti feels Max will stay at the top for the foreseeable future. Do you agree with Andretti’s view? Or do you side with Ralf Schumacher?