“How much of it is Max Verstappen?” F1 pundits want to see him win in another team
Does Max Verstappen need to win for another F1 team to prove his greatness? Karun Chandhok has suggested so.
Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok is keen to see Max Verstappen “drive for somebody else” to prove he can win in another team like other all-time greats have.
Verstappen stormed to his fourth victory of the 2024 F1 season in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix to extend his championship lead to 25 points.
Given Red Bull’s dominant form, Verstappen is the heavy favourite to secure his fourth consecutive drivers’ title.
Verstappen has won all of his races and titles with the same team in incredible fashion.
However, compared to other F1 legends such as Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes and McLaren) and Michael Schumacher (Benetton and Ferrari), they managed to win for different teams.
Chandhok - who raced in F1 between 2010 and 2011 - posed the question of how much of Red Bull’s success is down to the brilliance of Verstappen.
“More and more, I’d like to see him drive for somebody else,” he said. “I’d like to see. He’s at one with that car, could someone else jump in and do it? If he went to Mercedes…”
Chandhok added shortly after: “The all-time greats have won in more than one team. Schumacher, Fangio, Prost, Lewis.”
Verstappen’s immediate future seemingly lies with Red Bull given his contract doesn’t run out until 2028.
But Verstappen has been linked consistently with Mercedes as a possible Hamilton replacement.
1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill thinks Verstappen should be keeping tabs on Ferrari rather than Mercedes.
“If I was him, I’d be interested to see where Ferrari will end up, rather than Mercedes.
“With Max in the car, and with whatever else he can bring with him.”
Chandhok replied: “You think, for 2027, after Lewis?”
Hill concluded: “A signed piece of paper is not worth a signed piece of paper anymore. He can have the pick of whatever he wants.”
“Almost indestructible”
Verstappen’s latest triumph means he’s won exactly 50 per cent of all races since F1 last raced in China back in 2019.
Hill described Verstappen as “almost indestructible”.
“People are already talking about him as being established as one of the great Formula 1 drivers of all time,” he said. “I can’t argue with that. He’s got the equipment - but he’s got the equipment because he was so blindingly, obviously quick and aggressive and competitive.
“Mentally, he knows where he’s at. He doesn’t need much help. And he’s got a great team. He’s almost indestructible.”
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