Kyle Larson’s seemingly overconfident take on beating Max Verstappen has caused quite a stir in the motorsport world. The NASCAR driver claimed he was a better “all-round driver” and could defeat the 3-time F1 champion in anything other than F1 or IndyCar. Verstappen, however, maintained his calm with a dignified response, saying, “We should not have that debate because everyone is good in their own right.” Unsurprisingly, this debate is only gaining speed with 7-time champion Lewis Hamilton now unflatteringly dragged into it.

Here’s why it’s not a surprise. Verstappen and Hamilton had one of the biggest F1 rivalries that ended bitterly. The 2021 championship ended controversially, bringing the Mercedes driver’s 4-year title-winning streak to an end. They still are the current F1 grid’s most successful drivers and, naturally got compared.

On the Missed Apex F1 podcast, host Richard Ready addressed the Larson-Verstappen debate. Co-host Chris Stevens said, “I would disagree with Kyle’s remarks that he has a better shot of winning Monaco in a Grand Prix car than Max does, particularly when he’s talking about Max, who is one of the most versatile drivers.”

Ready then compared how Kyle Larson’s claim would’ve been justified if he spoke about the less versatile Hamilton than Verstappen. “If this had been five years ago and Hamilton was dominating, and he said this with Hamilton, he’s probably got a better case. Verstappen has demonstrated more versatility,” he added.

Ready isn’t wrong in commending the Dutchman for being more versatile. Even with the Red Bull car turning quite unpredictable in 2024, he has managed to tame the beast while his teammate Sergio Perez hasn’t. Moreover, in this Larson-created comparison, only Verstappen is being heavily sided with.

Tom Coronel defends Max Verstappen with ‘cry in a corner’ verdict on Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson‘s claim might sound wild, but it comes from a confident place in his abilities backed by his achievements. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has raced in different motorsport categories and championships, including NASCAR, IndyCar, dirt truck racing, and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2023, he was also named one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers.

But throwing an open challenge to Max Verstappen, a generational talent, might have been a mistake. Dutch racer Tom Coronel unabashedly explains why. “If you think you’re better than Max Verstappen, I’d actually really like to have a match between them, because you’re going to lose,” he said. “Max in those GT cars also goes bellowing, in the sim, with everything.”

The 2-time Touring Car champion went as far as to say, “Kyle, sorry, but I think you are wrong in life. Then you haven’t understood what driving a car is at all. Two practice sessions for Max and then Kyle is going to cry in a corner somewhere.”

Verstappen’s Sim racing experience has also widened his know-how of international tracks and non-F1 cars. Only an actual face-off between the two can solve this debate. Till then, it’ll just be tall claims from one side to the other. But what do you think? Who will come out on top if the face-off turns into a reality?