It seems Kyle Larson’s bold declaration that he was better than Max Verstappen might have backfired spectacularly. As if the racing gods were listening, the Michigan weather turned against him, with unforgiving rains leading to a suspended race on Sunday. The action was set to continue on the 19th, but Larson’s nightmare was just beginning. On the very first lap of the restarted race, Larson lost control, spinning out and causing a multi-car crash that left fans and critics alike questioning his earlier bravado.

This crash couldn’t have come at a worse time for Larson. Just days before, he confidently told FloRacing, “I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver.” He argued that while Verstappen might be unbeatable in Formula 1, he wouldn’t stand a chance in a sprint car or at events like the Knoxville Nationals, where NASCAR drivers excel. Larson even went further, saying, “There’s probably no way I can go win a Formula 1 race at Monaco, but I think I’d have a better shot doing what he does than him doing what I do, just because of the car element.” He was certain that, despite his limited experience with open-wheel cars, he could outdrive Verstappen “in everything else.”

But as Larson’s No. 17 Camaro spun out, his words came back to haunt him. The Michigan International Speedway incident left fans questioning his claims, with many jumping into the comments on NASCAR’s post to side with Verstappen, arguing that the F1 star was clearly the better driver. What started as a confident statement turned into a public relations disaster, with Larson’s attempt to assert his dominance over Verstappen backfiring in the most dramatic way possible.

Max Verstappen emerges as the better driver after Kyle Larson’s Michigan incident

“Verstappen would never,” said one fan, taking the side of the Dutch driver, as although he has not performed as well as last season, he still leads the F1 standings by a huge margin. The same cannot be said about Larson, especially after his position dropped following the Michigan race. On another note, the fan also meant that Verstappen would never cause such a crash, especially considering the lead he takes in every race.

“Welp Verstappen fans are going to be pulling now,” said one comment who expected F1 fans to support the Red Bull Champion. Although Larson claimed that he was a better driver than Verstappen, the F1 driver stayed neutral when he was asked about the NASCAR driver’s words. Now that Verstappen did not step in to fight for his pride, the commenter expects the Dutchman’s fans to share their thoughts.

“Better than Verstappen” showed up in the comments as fans sarcastically made fun of Larson’s words to FloRacing. This was not the only message with a similar tone, as more motorsports fans showed up in the comments to hold Larson responsible for starting this rivalry. 

On similar lines as the comment above, a fan carried out the sentiment by sarcastically saying, “I thought he was better than Verstappen, though.” What makes this worse for Larson is that now fans will hold on to the fact that after claiming to be a better driver in other sports, the Hendrick Motorsports driver could not even complete a NASCAR race without crashing.

“Larson just loves wrecking at the WORST time,” said a fan who pointed out Kyle’s wreck to be at the worst time considering his statement about being better than Verstappen. This will definitely play on Larson’s mind, as many fans now feel like he overstepped claiming the title of best driver.

Do you think that the wreck in Michigan is enough reason to dethrone the self-proclaimed best driver in the world? Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments section.