Kyle Larson: “I would have a better chance of winning in F1 than Verstappen in NASCAR”

The American, who not only shines in stock car races on ovals, but also on road circuits and in “sprint car” events on dirt ovals, tried his hand last May for the first time at the Indianapolis 500 Miles. A proof of versatility which is the main argument of his defenders for granting him the title of best current driver in motor sports. If Kyle Larson manages to be good everywhere, he must be the best, right? An observation notably shared by one of his opponents at the Knoxville Nationals, Giovanni Scelzi. The latter finished second behind Larson in the legendary event of the sprint car season.

“I don’t know what to do to reach his level”, he explained to Flo Racing. “When I get there, I’ll tell you.” The key is to be mentally and physically strong. He is so good in all disciplines that he is probably the greatest driver of all time. I don't think it's stupid to say that. We all know it. »

Also questioned on this element, Kyle Larson as always gave a frank answer, when asked if he needs a fight against Max Verstappen to feel like a better driver between the two: " Not really. I know in my mind that I'm better at versatility. There's no way (Verstappen) can get in a Sprint Car and win the Knoxville Nationals. There's no way he's going to win the Chili Bowl. There's no chance he's going to win a race NASCAR Cup at Bristol. There's probably no way for me to win a race Formula 1 in Monaco, but I think I would have a better chance than him to win in NASCAR, just because of the car element. This is what gives me ease and confidence: I know that I am better than him. Maybe not in IndyCar or in Formula 1, but it is a separate discipline. I think I would beat him in all the other disciplines. You can quote it. »

No debate to be had for Max Verstappen

As Formula 1 returns to school this weekend at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, the three-time reigning world champion was obviously questioned about these comments, to which he simply responded: “It's no problem, everyone can have their own opinion. » Speaking to content creator Ash Vandelay earlier in the week, Verstappen gave a nuanced response, while emphasizing that he too tries different types of driving, such as rally, or GT3, a discipline where he impressed experienced engineers within his team.

“For me, we shouldn't have this debate, because everyone is good in their own way. I'm not good on dirt ovals, unless maybe I'm practicing? Because I think that a good driver learns things quickly. It also depends on where you grew up. THE karting and F1 is more natural for me than dirt. I don't really know how to get on with it, I did a bit of rallying in the fields, I had a lot of fun, but could I be good at it? I don't know ! You have to learn, and you have to learn from the best in their discipline, that's how you progress too. This is why this debate of saying that one is better than the other, we cannot know, because the disciplines are different and everyone is good at them. I have a lot of respect for drivers who do many different disciplines. »

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