Coulthard: Max’s professional maturity is impressive

According to David Coulthard, former Formula 1 driver and now commentator for the British television channel Channel 4, it was clear even when Max Verstappen participated in the youth series that he had a special talent. And this season, with the Dutchman well on his way to his third world title, his impressive winning streak has been fueled by exceptionally consistent performances from the Red Bull Racing team.

“Max has always stood out from the crowd in all youth formulas. And from the moment he made his debut in Formula 1 and took his first victory – in my opinion he was not yet 18 years old – it became clear that we were seeing a special driver,” Coulthard said in an interview with the official website. of the championship. – This is what you could say when you look at the performances of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher or any of the drivers of this caliber.

Most impressive is the level of professional maturity that Max has already achieved, even though he is only 25 years old. I know Lewis Hamilton said Verstappen didn’t have strong teammates. Firstly, this is not true, and secondly, it is not really about who your partner is, but who your rivals are. And while Max’s main rival was Lewis.

In the past they had incredibly spectacular duels, where they fought wheel to wheel and showed excellent results. It impressed everyone, whether you are a Mercedes or a Ferrari fan.

There are extremely high level drivers in Formula 1, including Lewis, Fernando Alonso and Max, and this is just a statement of fact.

Up and coming are Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, George Russell – the list goes on. These guys show excellent potential, but cannot yet boast numerous victories and titles.”

Coulthard also noted the work of the Red Bull Racing team, for which he competed from 2005 to 2008. – at that time she was just starting to climb to the top of Formula 1, and this year she will win the Constructors’ Championship for the sixth time, and in theory this could happen in Singapore, due to her lead over Mercedes, which is the second line of the team rankings, has already reached 310 points.

“The stability of the team led by Christian Horner, where Adrian Newey sets the direction of development, is impressive,” the Scot added. – Of course, as we know, they are not the ones who design and build the whole machine; this requires a team of excellent specialists. But even if there are some personnel changes in the team, they always manage to find the right person who has both the necessary skills and potential, and he begins to work effectively.

Of course, Max’s main rivals will remain Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and the Ferrari drivers, if the Scuderia can solve the problems.”