Who is the best driver in the world? This is a question that often gets asked when talking about motorsports. One thing to consider here is that there are hundreds of amazing drivers across different disciplines and there is no right way to compare it. While some might say it is NASCAR’s Kyle Larson, others would say it is currently Max Verstappen in F1.

Each discipline differs a lot, from NASCAR to Formula 1 to dirt racing, and every driver has their own unique style. Considering that, it gets hard to pinpoint who is the best behind a steering wheel, and that is what Max Verstappen believes too. Besides acknowledging that all drivers are amazing in their own sport, he also had a hot take about himself in other disciplines, and here is what he had to say about that.

Max Verstappen cannot decide who the best driver in the world is

Recently, the media has deemed Kyle Larson to be the ‘best driver in the world.’ This came with a lot of backlash because the Hendrick Motorsport driver has not competed in F1 despite being successful in other formats. Now, it is only fair for a driver to be proficient in all forms of racing to take on the title of the best driver, and when Max Verstappen was asked this question, he started the same.

In a recent interview with Ash Vandelay, the defending F1 champion was asked about who he thinks the best driver in the world is. Vandelay asked the Red Bull Racing driver, “Personally, I think versatility: Kyle Larson does Indy; he does dirt. I think that’s really cool, too. So, personally, what do you look for when you’re, you know, talking amongst drivers?”

Verstappen is a hard-working driver who has practically dominated throughout 2023 in F1 by winning 19 out of 22 races, which has made many fans call him the best driver in the world. However, that is not how Verstappen thinks, as he replied to Vandelay, saying, “Honestly, I think I should first say we should not have that debate because everyone is good on their own.”

Although the three-time F1 world champion competes in an international capacity, he stated, “I wouldn’t be good on dirt; if I practice, I don’t know, because I think at the end of the day, a good racing driver picks things up quite quickly.” It is obvious that Max Verstappen has not raced in other formats besides the Formula Series, and while that puts him at a disadvantage compared to drivers like Kyle Larson, he does not pinpoint any driver who should be given that title.

Max Verstappen’s take on growing as a motorsport racer

Verstappen was not done with his answer, as he explained that a driver’s skills depend on the sport that they grew up with. In his case, it was go-karting and F1, as he has spent all his life perfecting his technique; however, those skills don’t do much good when it comes to racing in the dirt. He mentioned that he had done some rallying on open fields, which was fun for him, but in the end, that would not make him a good dirt driver.

The way that the three-time F1 world champion prefers to learn something is from the best at the given talent. For F1, he always had his father, Jos Verstappen, teach him everything he needed to know to get into F1. On the other hand, he also got to grow up around Michael Schumacher, who is undoubtedly one of the most iconic names in all of motorsports. He concluded by saying that the debate over the best driver on earth does not make sense while saying, “We need to know everyone is good in their own right.”

Do you agree with Max Verstappen on his take? Let us know who you believe deserves the title of the best driver in the world in the comments below.