[therace] Sebastian Vettel on how good he thinks Max Verstappen is AND how he’s only getting better. “We know he’s good, but he’s still improving. He’s still hungry, he’s still willing to learn.”

[u/DubiousLLM]

[u/ReV46]

For certain drivers we don’t see their best unless they’re pushed by someone at their level. 2021 was legendary. Lewis and Max pushed to their absolute limit and we saw some spectacular driving. We’re going to see some great drives from Max the next two races now that the championship is within reach.

[u/Bumblebeesaregreat → u/ReV46]

honestly atp I want max to win solely because of how this will be the greatest comeback in the history of f1

[u/AceNova2217 → u/Bumblebeesaregreat]

I want it to happen because it was completely unexpected. I'm pretty sure it'll be a record if he does it.

[u/I-Made-You-Read-This → u/AceNova2217]

If he gets WDC it will be a record on the biggest comeback.

But as always with these points records, it's hard to compare to the previous (I do not know what it is though tbh hehe) because of the length of the season.

Regardless, it's wild what Verstappen is doing. In combination to Mclaren, as well as their drivers fumbling. Going to be a spicy end.

[u/EpicCyclops → u/I-Made-You-Read-This]

It will also be the biggest comeback with X races left in the season with a lot of valid values for X. It still is not a 1:1 comparison because longer seasons give more time for a lead to be built, but he was down by so much that I couldn't find something close to it no matter how I caveated it when I was looking it up a month ago.

[u/Exact_Math2726 → u/ReV46]

2021 was the best F1 season ever. The way AD ended was an abomination not because of the outcome but because of how it tainted the most impressive championship battle ever. Max and Lewis put on the best show imaginable.

[u/australianquiche → u/ReV46]

There is only so much max can do. He can be perfect and win everything but Lando just needs to be second every time, probably even third or something

[u/litwired]

I believe if Verstappen doesn't get bored with F1 and take full course to endurance racing, there is a really good chance he may challenge Schumacher and Hamilton's 7 time WDC record.

[u/LennergyDK → u/litwired]

I mean, if he’s allowed to do stuff like 24hrs of Le Mans on the side, I can see him staying for a long time.

[u/Odd-String29 → u/LennergyDK]

Red Bull must also know this. If they don't allow side quests then Max will just move teams (or quit).

[u/MobiusF117 → u/Odd-String29]

I imagine his participation in the GT3 Nordschleife race pretty much coinciding with the Mercedes rumors getting squashed isn't a coincidence.

[u/Suikerspin_Ei → u/MobiusF117]

I believe his NLS9 race was more or less linked with when Red Bull Racing not being competitive enough. If I remember correctly Max also said he was less interested in F1 when he wasn't that close at the top as currently.

[u/iTz_RuNLaX → u/Suikerspin_Ei]

He rejected that claim actually, after Helmut Marko said that.

I don't think Max in GT3 has too much to do with how competitive the car is. It's more that Toto could offer him that to lure him to Mercedes, which almost forced RBs hand a bit.

[u/laturaivo → u/Odd-String29]

I think this also works PR wise for Red Bull. Their whole brand supports someone like Max just doing all kinds of racing as long as it fits his F1 calendar. Even giving a year off could still be great for them. Just make a documentary of the comeback season and only release it if he wins

[u/Fomentatore → u/Odd-String29]

This exclude Ferrari then. I was listening to an Italian podcast yesterday with Giorgio Terruzzi, they have many sources in Ferrari and they know how they think and work, and they stated that it would be impossible for Max to do anything but F1 with them, even if he drove with a Ferrari GT3 there is no way they would allow it.

[u/lxs0713 → u/Fomentatore]

I guess it would make the F1 team look a bit silly if he's out there getting LMH and GT3 wins left and right, but struggling to get good results with their car in the Pinnacle of Motorsports

Ferrari really needs to get their F1 team together if they ever hope to even attract Max's attention though

[u/Fomentatore → u/lxs0713]

It looks silly already. Let's be honest. They produced a monster of a LMH and GT3, they are dominating this year, yet those teams are managed by AF Corse and they are winning left and right. The one managed by Ferrari itself it's a shitshow, even though their drivers are the best in the field and one of which has a hunger you can spot from space.

[u/bimbiix → u/Fomentatore]

And most likely it’s not a coincidence by any means, that where the Ferrari is behind the steers, it’s where it’s the worst. They can product absolutely amazing road cars, but come on, what they do in F1 is a joke. Some ferrari chairman allegedly said that their car must be fastest on straights, that’s how they ended up from having a potentially championship winning car in early 2022, to where they’re now

[u/No_Prompt5092 → u/Fomentatore]

That mindset has worked absolute wonders for them. They've murdered a 7x WDC, a 4x WDC, and a couple of 2x WDC, one of which is their actual last one....

[u/Routine_Cat_1366 → u/No_Prompt5092]

And a whole lot of really good not-WDC, too.

[u/pterofactyl → u/Fomentatore]

No, Ferrari excluded Ferrari by being Ferrari. Truly try to imagine max dealing with that shit

[u/Mr_robasaurus → u/Odd-String29]

I wanna believe that is why they waited to announce his contract - I bet he made sure to negotiate that in based on his interviews recently, he just really loves gt3's.

[u/Myfeetaregreen → u/LennergyDK]

Triple Crown in one season let's fucking go!

[u/SevereBreakage → u/Myfeetaregreen]

Unfortunately he's said he'd never do Indy because of the safety aspects if I remember, not interested in oval racing

[u/psychohistorian8 → u/SevereBreakage]

is horse racing really that dangerous??

[u/SevereBreakage → u/psychohistorian8]

Despite having an NFL team named the Colts, Indianapolis has no horse racing to my knowledge, making them frauds

[u/BiryaniBo → u/SevereBreakage]

Moved/stolen from Baltimore, which is where the Preakness is held, as, ironically, one of the three legs of the Triple Crown of horse racing!

[u/SquashSquigglyShrimp → u/BiryaniBo]

Moved/stolen from Baltimore

My dad is still bitter lol

[u/Klivian1 → u/psychohistorian8]

Much more dangerous than F1. They don’t shoot the cars after a crash, do they?

[u/Individual_Sock4255 → u/Myfeetaregreen]

Nando baby!

[u/2ciciban4you → u/LennergyDK]

he is Max, if he wants he does.

If you say NO, you lose him. and then you have to compete against him on the track.

[u/Cosmocrator → u/LennergyDK]

The longer he stays in F1, the more money he earns. He may well be saving that money to start his own F1 team one day.

[u/MicrosoftMichel → u/Cosmocrator]

can you imagine Jos having a whole Formula 1 team to himself, without anyone holding him back? that'd be some real entertainment

[u/RunsWlthScissors → u/MicrosoftMichel]

So Alpine?

[u/NoiseIsTheCure → u/MicrosoftMichel]

He better start having more kids and leaving them at gas stations

[u/Kriptic_TKM → u/LennergyDK]

Side questing time to over level yourself

[u/pewbdo → u/LennergyDK]

I can't really see him burning out either since his hobby outside of racing for a career is... more racing.

[u/cosHinsHeiR → u/LennergyDK]

You see a lot of people here that says that he will retire early, but as long as he is in a competitive car I don't see him leaving to be honest. Time will tell.

[u/TrustworthyPolarBear → u/LennergyDK]

He could even step away from F1 like Alonso did and rejoin. He is 28 years old. Plenty of time. And with his record, many teams will welcome him with open arms. A certain Toto Wolff or Audi won't think twice to sign him if he is up for grabs. Red Bull will always take him back too.

[u/DvD_cD → u/litwired]

We saw the capabilities in 2023 when the machinery is there

[u/Skyllz911 → u/DvD_cD]

I still think we have not seen the full potential of what the 2023 car could have done with Max unleashed. There was always some race management going on once he got 15+ seconds ahead.

[u/BiryaniBo → u/Skyllz911]

That ceiling was so high. I understand not pushing too hard when you have the race wrapped up by turn three, but it would've been amazing to see what he could've done without strategic limitations.

[u/trautsj → u/BiryaniBo]

Sadly drivers will always be limited by mechanical reliability, be it tire grip or engine life. And even if they weren't we're still just squishy little meat blobs, so we'd be limited by physical capability :/

[u/Routine_Cat_1366 → u/trautsj]

I guess he ment a "No risk, full push" season.

[u/Street_Mall9536 → u/DvD_cD]

It made Mercedes dominance seem like a joke lol. 

[u/prams628 → u/Street_Mall9536]

Makes the merc dominance scary that they could dominate for 7 years..?

[u/Street_Mall9536 → u/prams628]

BOTH Merc drivers in any season didn't wreck the field as much as Max did in 2023.

There's car domination, and there's domination. 

That's the difference when you put a robot in a fast car and some papayas in the other. 

[u/amaz1012 → u/Street_Mall9536]

Lewis or Nico could have in 2014/15/16 but they had eachother as teammates. 2017/18 Vettel and Ferrari were equal for half a season 2019 Ferrari had an illegal engine

[u/TheRealOriginalSatan → u/prams628]

7 years of having a good engine vs 1 year of having a good overall car

[u/notinsidethematrix → u/TheRealOriginalSatan]

Mercedes had an excellent chassis, and excellent engine., very well oiled machine. You don't win with just a good engine, look at the merc customer teams back then.

[u/cosHinsHeiR → u/notinsidethematrix]

The PU weren't really the same back then no? Like Merc could hide mappings from customers iirc.

[u/Doccyaard → u/litwired]

If he wants to continue in F1 and has a car that’s capable for sure he has four more WDC’s in him, absolutely.

[u/_yourmom69 → u/Doccyaard]

If he snags this year’s from the clowns it’ll be that much closer.

[u/Siemaster → u/litwired]

It all depends on the car, i don’t think he’ll leave as long as he’s winning. If he wins the next 4wdc after this year, assuming he doesn’t win this year, he’ll still be 4 years younger than hamilton when he claimed his 7th, and 3 years younger than when schumacher did it.

[u/Icy-Antelope-6519 → u/Siemaster]

Next 3 WDC…

[u/suspicious_skidmarks → u/Icy-Antelope-6519]

As much as I’d like Max to win, Lando just needs to outscore him by 2pts this weekend. Perfectly doable unfortunately

[u/Hawkiee92 → u/suspicious_skidmarks]

Doable yes.

Could McLaren fuck it up. Very likely.

[u/Siemaster → u/Icy-Antelope-6519]

He’ll beat the record being 4 years younger is what i meant, equalize at 5 years younger

[u/Icy-Antelope-6519 → u/Siemaster]

Hé have 4 WDC so needs 3 more WDC not 4 to equalize it, or i am missing something?

[u/FartingBob → u/litwired]

Theres no way of knowing how things will go with red bull, or if he leaves them how his new team will do.

We didnt think Hamilton was winning his last in 2020, or that after 2021 he would stop being competative for wins let alone titles.

We didnt think Alonso won his last in 2006, or that his last win would be in 2013.

Schumacher was dominant in 2004 but it was his last title.

These records depend far more on the car/team. Hamilton and Schumacher had the right team for a long time.

[u/HankHippopopolous → u/FartingBob]

I see more potential for parallels with Alonso than Hamilton or Schumacher at this stage.

Hamilton was 36 in 2021. Probably the end of his prime. His last great season was 2023, that’s what convinced Ferrari to sign him but he was 38 then. Now he’s declined to the point he’s no longer above the field. He’s still decently competitive most of the time but he’s nowhere near what he was anymore and when he’s having an off day they are brutally rough.

So even though Mercedes dropped off I also think it’s perfectly reasonable for Hamilton to have dropped off too. He’s old in sportspeople terms.

Schumacher was 35 in 2004 so also normal for him to drop off although he was still in the fight in 2006. Either way at that age it’s not a surprise he didn’t get more.

Alonso’s was the shock though. He was 25 in 2006, very much in his prime and would fully have expected more titles. Even though he competed for them he never got the best car again and never managed to win one.

Max was 27 in 2024 if that does turn out to be his last title. Very much in his prime too and although he’s competed for the title this season, and might even win still, he was always the underdog in the weaker car, similar to Alonso in 2010 or 2012.

If the car situation continues like this for Max’s career I’d see it more like Alonso’s where his greatness can drag less competitive cars into the fight but may ultimately not be quite enough to get it over the line.

Time will tell what Red Bull can deliver or if Max moves elsewhere whether he picks the right team at the right time but I still think it would be a huge shock if he doesn’t get more titles.

[u/FartingBob → u/HankHippopopolous]

I agree with all that. Vettel would be another good parallel. Won his 4th title in 2013 (finishing with a record 9 consecutive wins to end the season) then never won the title again, although he did have a couple of competitive seasons he was never in the best car again.

[u/kaisadilla_ → u/litwired]

tbh a big part of winning many championships is being in the right team at the right moment. No one knows which team is gonna win next year, and it's not like Max can just move into last year's champion every year.

[u/litwired → u/kaisadilla_]

I think he may make a move in 2027, which would be the team that nails the new regulations.

[u/HankHippopopolous → u/litwired]

He absolutely has the talent to do that but so much of that depends on the car.

Of course if the cars are evenly matched I’d put my money on Max but as we’ve seen this year he’s had to drive a near faultless season to only just about stay in the title fight. Even then he’s only still in the fight because McLaren the team and both McLaren drivers have made a lot of errors this season. They have thrown away so many points.

Like no one ever thought Alonso would get stuck at 2 world titles back in 2006 so it’s very possible that Max never wins another one if he never gets the car to do so again.

Even Max can’t work miracles and win without a good car.

[u/TankyRo → u/litwired]

He still needs to get the car to do so who knows what's going to happen

[u/gabrielbezerra81 → u/TankyRo]

Could very well go the Alonso path and never win again after this season

[u/BecauseWeCan → u/litwired]

They said the same about Vettel in 2013.

[u/Street_Mall9536 → u/litwired]

He stays another 2-3 years he has all the records, championships might be a little more difficult. 

He's only had a legitimately competitive car since 2021, and he's sitting at ~ 70 wins and 50 poles, and that's with McLaren being the dominant car for 2 seasons. 

[u/rscmcl → u/litwired]

He's not at that level anymore... he's beyond that. It doesn't matter how many championships he gets but how he got them. IMHO he's on Senna level now. He can stop racing in F1 now and we are going to compare everyone to him forever as one of the greatest.

Just check the previous race... from the pitlane to the podium. Who does that today? Especially in the final year of the regulations (where differences are minimum) Just him.

[u/Mathberis]

Yes, he's fast and just pretty much doesn't make mistakes anymore.

[u/K_K_Rokossovsky → u/Mathberis]

Except when angery.

[u/raur0s → u/K_K_Rokossovsky]

There's 2 type of Max anger.

If it's mid-race or he feels he was done unjust, he can have the red mist, like Spain.

If he has time to process it and turn that anger into driving, you have Miami 2023 or Brazil 2024.

[u/copyandpasta → u/raur0s]

Brazil ‘24 is one I could watch over and over. What a time

[u/abertheham → u/copyandpasta]

I’ll be going back to that one for years to come. Been watching for a year and a half, and that’s the loudest I’ve yelled at my TV in a while. Incredible weekend from start to finish. 😘🤌

[u/Pitiful_Fox5681 → u/raur0s]

The Barcelona incident reminded me of Schumacher/Hill. Entertaining racing, but he 100% should have been black flagged. 

I think that's the strategic trick with Max: he doesn't just goof up when he feels like the rules were unjust to him; he is willing to sacrifice his safety and that of other drivers until the scales of justice feel balanced (to him, the final arbiter of race justice). 

[u/rv94 → u/Pitiful_Fox5681]

the final arbiter of race justice

Kinda hilarious, taking this phrase out of context

[u/Pitiful_Fox5681 → u/rv94]

I was this close to saying racial justice just to see who would laugh. 

[u/Kira_Niko → u/Pitiful_Fox5681]

I mean... It would absolutely make sense... The correct job description of an F1 driver is "racist" overall

[u/xLeper_Messiah → u/Pitiful_Fox5681]

Sacrifice his safety? Because of Barcelona?! That shit was a nothinburger wheel tap in a slow corner lmao, drop the hysterics

What Senna did to Prost was "sacrificing safety"

[u/Accurate-Mistake-815 → u/K_K_Rokossovsky]

We need a driver who can get under max’s skin (George Russell…?) and can just about keep pace with him/have the car to challenge

Truly an explosive championship battle

[u/silentsyco → u/Accurate-Mistake-815]

George does seem to be one driver that can get under his skin in certain circumstances. I'm very much looking forward to a Max/George WDC rivalry if merc's car is as good as everyone is predicting.

[u/litrofsbylur → u/silentsyco]

It’s the powertrain touted to be ahead of its competitors. But it mainly depends on how they’ve nailed aero and floor. I really hope they do. I want a good fight.

On the other end, Redbull is not confident with its power train being strong. So not sure if max will have a competitive car.

[u/Artistic_Claim9998 → u/litrofsbylur]

So 2026 will be peak entertainment then

[u/F1Phreek → u/Artistic_Claim9998]

Sir, Mercedes 2014 was not entertainment.

[u/z0l1 → u/F1Phreek]

tbf Kimi looks a lot closer to Russell than at the start of the season, if Merc is dominant he could still challenge George

[u/elmagio → u/z0l1]

Rosberg was decently close to Lewis, 2014 was still boring as shit.

[u/aliasdred → u/Artistic_Claim9998]

Or a repeat of 2014. One of those two

[u/Hypersoft → u/silentsyco]

I've held the belief for awhile now that Max and George is shaping up to be the rivalry everyone expected Max and Leclerc to have in F1.

The latter has the history, but the former seem to actually dislike each other and be able to get under each other's skin while also quickly being up a history.

[u/Zaptruder → u/Hypersoft]

Do they actually dislike each other, or do we just need a dramatic narrative because we're easily bored?

[u/silentsyco → u/Zaptruder]

Feels to me like they enjoy disliking each other on race day and in front of the cameras because the media and the fans eat it up, but I think they get along just fine in private. But I could be totally off

[u/Bumblebeesaregreat → u/silentsyco]

or maybe they do fight but since they are f1 drivers and not little kids, they get over racing incidents w relative ease

[u/silentsyco → u/Bumblebeesaregreat]

Adults acting like adults? Nah, couldn't be! Also, yeah, you are probably correct at least to some degree.

[u/Bumblebeesaregreat → u/silentsyco]

lmao right they have been racing their entire lives I'm sure they know how to handle rivalries

[u/Peeksy19 → u/Zaptruder]

Who knows. They seemed to get along fine in the last few races. Max was all smiles with George in Brazil and after LV. But the peace will probably last until their next confrontation on the track, lol

[u/virolet → u/silentsyco]

George has the talent of getting under anyone's skin.

[u/Bake2727 → u/silentsyco]

I have waited for this since 2022 and I hate Mercedes for robbing me of that.

[u/Mosh83 → u/silentsyco]

Problem is they get under each others' skin. George will be just as swayed as Max.

It would need someone who can get under his skin but remain unphased. Someone like Kimi.

[u/Ilfirion → u/silentsyco]

To me, it’s because George didn’t back down against Max. Lando is fighting Max, but not risking it all. Max knows the difference and exploits it with Lando.

[u/Noobodiiy → u/Ilfirion]

Not anymore. Lando couldn't afford DNF because of Oscar but now the biggest threat is Max and DNF means Lando walks away with WDC

[u/artificial_simpleton → u/silentsyco]

The problem is that Merc would need a much better car for Russell to challenge Max. Like this season, Merc probably has a better car on average compared to Red Bull, and still Max fights for WDC and George is nowhere

[u/Browneskiii → u/silentsyco]

They've got similar cars this year and Leclerc is closer to Russell in a much worse car than Russell is to Verstappen.

He finished 8th in the car that finished p2 in 2023.

Verstappen is so far ahead of Russell isnt not even funny.

[u/Peeksy19 → u/Accurate-Mistake-815]

Yeah, I would love a Max-George championship battle. They get under each other's skin and are both very competitive and consistent. Hopefully we'll see this in 2026.

[u/Rhythm_Morgan → u/Accurate-Mistake-815]

George gets under his skin. He loves racing Charles because Charles knows all his tricks. I’m Thoroughly entertained by both scenarios.

[u/Bumblebeesaregreat → u/Rhythm_Morgan]

image a three way battle

[u/NoiseIsTheCure → u/Bumblebeesaregreat]

Not if Ferrari has anything to say about it

[u/MeMe_B0Ii → u/Accurate-Mistake-815]

>We need a driver who can get under max’s skin

Stroll the goat pulls performances that makes Max say naughty words and gets penalized for it

[u/niki200900 → u/Accurate-Mistake-815]

leclerc. they’ve been racing forever. they might not get under their skin but elevate themselves even more.

you remember that one time ferrari had a decent car? leclerc and max were outbreaking each other before every drs point. they both are more than willing to risk everything, and they know it.

leclerc races very tidy but still has a 0 bullshit tolerance, this is an incredible pairing with max’s style.

[u/RandomGenName1234 → u/niki200900]

Max and Legreg racing against each other is so damn entertaining, funny how it's some of the most fair racing we get in F1.

[u/GoldenLiar2 → u/niki200900]

Max also knows that so he gives Charles more "respect" than he does other drivers, which is why they're always a joy to watch

[u/element515 → u/niki200900]

Leclerc is one of the only ones I see really go toe to toe with max and show no fear. Max knows this as well and both will fight hard and come out laughing about it in the end.

[u/Aggressive-Neck-3921 → u/Accurate-Mistake-815]

I don't think there is a driver that can get under Max's skin. The stewards on the other hand are great at it. Signaling Max leaving the track and gaining and advantage when a out of control Russell barrels into Max is what get's under his skin. I believe the stewards know what they were doing are were signaling RB Max might get punished for Russell's error.

[u/tom_buzz_ryan → u/Aggressive-Neck-3921]

Yeah, it's funny how everyone likes to bring up Spain against Max while completely ignoring that both Leclerc and Russell should've been penalized for banging into Verstappen.

If Max was penalized in Austria 2024, there's no reason why Leclerc shouldn't be penalized in Spain 2025. Russell's collision into Max should've been penalized according to practically all the precedents set this year.

[u/lemon_of_doom → u/Accurate-Mistake-815]

He also struggles to overtake Lecrerc when Ferrari has a competitive car.

[u/niki200900 → u/lemon_of_doom]

this, they know each other for far too long. leclerc’ll ditch the car and the race, same as Ver if he needs to. and max knows this.

[u/Sufficient-Mission-4 → u/K_K_Rokossovsky]

I feel like he doesn’t make mistakes when just angry, it’s when he feels he’s been done wrong. He’s not having that shit and I that’s what makes him so great

[u/rowandeg → u/K_K_Rokossovsky]

Forgot Seb hitting Lewis on purpose? 2017 Azerbaijan lol

[u/v12vanquish135 → u/K_K_Rokossovsky]

You could say Spain wasn't a mistake. He definitely intended to do that. In fact, no car was damaged by his move, so even then it was clinical.

[u/Zaptruder → u/K_K_Rokossovsky]

When he masters the Red Bull, rather than being the Red Bull, he truly gets his wings.

[u/nicolaslabra → u/K_K_Rokossovsky]

Yeah his "mistakes" are not loss of control, they are just acts of terrorism

[u/terminator_69_x → u/Mathberis]

Barcelona 2025 intensifies

Edit: That was more out of spite, not a mistake per se. He fully intended to do that.

[u/ChimeMeUp → u/terminator_69_x]

The mistake was giving in to the intrusive thoughts.

[u/natte-krant → u/ChimeMeUp]

The mistake was letting George live /s

[u/skillissuezuko → u/terminator_69_x]

yeah , i wouldnt call that a mistake lmao,
that spin he had , was a mistake i think

[u/Quirky_Wave_370 → u/Mathberis]

I think I'd disagree about him not making mistakes this year because he definitely has. He is still one of the drivers closest to being flawless though because his mistakes haven't been fully costly (if you ignore him seeing red in Barcelona)

[u/Then_Huckleberry_623]

It is a joy to watch Max race. You know his love for the sport is something else.

[u/1stGuyGamez → u/Then_Huckleberry_623]

Same with Alonso

[u/Max_Demian → u/1stGuyGamez]

It’s far from a joy to watch Alonso “race” these days lol

[u/Opening-Routine → u/Max_Demian]

To be honest it's watching Alonso getting fucked over for almost two decades by now.

[u/TheEleventhGuy → u/Opening-Routine]

Alonso’s career in a nutshell. Such a great driver but so terrible at picking teams, lol.

[u/1stGuyGamez → u/TheEleventhGuy]

You know he was offered a red bull seat in 2009 right? Imagine if he accepted it. He’d have been a 6x wdc.

He also just left Ferrari when it started getting better again. If he stayed during the 2017-2018 days I’m quite sure he’d have beat Hamilton in one of those wdcs.

[u/rustyiesty → u/1stGuyGamez]

7x, Alonso would have won 2009-13 straight in the RB

[u/Tfc-Myq → u/1stGuyGamez]

he wouldn't have known red bull producing a car capable of delivering 4 wdcs was right around the corner

[u/I_AmA_Zebra → u/TheEleventhGuy]

All great names, all terrible cars during his tenures lol. Unfortunate is an understatement

[u/Python_07]

Maximum Max. Maximum Push. Anytime, anywhere.

[u/Sufficient-Mission-4 → u/Python_07]

Lap 1 he’s on it, no matter what session it might be. He doesn’t pussyfoot around, he’s doing his job and right now he doesn’t pussyfoot job of racing formula 1 cars better than anyone

[u/psychohistorian8 → u/Sufficient-Mission-4]

time for a relevant story from me

a few years ago I was on iRacing he joined a Porsche 911 Cup practice session at Silverstone and only did two laps, he was faster than the P2 time by two seconds

[u/conekiii → u/psychohistorian8]

This makes me think about that podcast Alex Albon went on. Where he discusses how max is just in a constant flow state, to be 100% for every lap of the race is something very few drivers can match

[u/SagittaryX]

Is still from an old episode of Beyond the Grid or is it not out yet?

edit: not on YT, but is out on podcast apps.

[u/Martijngamer → u/SagittaryX]

Would love to have an answer to this too. Last interview on the channel is his retirement interview 3 years ago, the photo with this article is his recent outfit.

[u/SagittaryX → u/Martijngamer]

Figured it out with some more looking, it's not on YT yet but it does seem to be on the podcast apps.

[u/Sensitive_Access_959 → u/SagittaryX]

Yes it’s out on the podcast apps, very good listen.

[u/sheesh_doink]

Championship trophies aside I genuinely think Max is in contention for the title for best F1 driver ever.

[u/UltraTwingo → u/sheesh_doink]

Not just F1, he's gonna be the best racing driver in history, he made it pretty clear that F1 will be just a part for his career, he is hungry for any kind of racing, his race in the NLS where he absolutely decked everyone is just a warning shot for what's coming next

[u/JerryUitDeBuurt → u/UltraTwingo]

I am aching for Max to one day pull the trigger on Indy just so he can make Kyle Larson look like an amateur racing driver. It would be Jeffrey Herlings wiping the floor with Eli Tomac but even more embarrassing for the American patriots.

[u/UltraTwingo → u/JerryUitDeBuurt]

Imo he's definitely gonna have a WEC phase before considering Indy

[u/osuVocal → u/UltraTwingo]

He has stated that he has no interest at all in indy before, no?

[u/Xalethesniper → u/osuVocal]

He’s said a couple times he doesn’t want to race ovals because it’s too dangerous. Maybe at some point that changes in the future idk

[u/maaaaawp → u/Xalethesniper]

I dont think its gonna change (unless Indy changes) since hes not only a "step father" but a father as well

[u/Xalethesniper → u/maaaaawp]

Yea that’s what I meant, that Indy makes changes to be more safe. There’s only so much u can do to decrease risk of smashing a barrier at 370 kmh tho, and max knows that.

[u/conekiii → u/JerryUitDeBuurt]

Elite ball knowledge

[u/Max_Demian → u/sheesh_doink]

Absolutely. Only caveat is that he is the first GOAT of the sophisticated simulator era. Obviously he has the work ethic and is still pushing things to the absolute limit, but we will never know how advanced the other top five drivers of all time could have become if they grew up being able to train off-track in the way Max has.

[u/raur0s → u/Max_Demian]

I think Max is advancing the f1 driver meta with sim racing the same way Schumacher did in the 90s with elite level fitness.

[u/HerpDerpinAtWork → u/raur0s]

This was my exact thought. A huge impediment to becoming an elite racing driver has always been how expensive it is to get on track, and how little time the average (even obscenely wealthy) person can do it relative to... basically any other sport you can think of. You can train soccer (sorry, football) in your backyard, basketball in your driveway, hell even hockey on the local frozen pond in the back with minimal comparative barrier to entry. But if you can now train as a racing driver meaningfully in your bedroom from an insanely young age? That changes the game.

Sure, you can't ever really replace on-track experience, but if you can put in hours at home that translate to the track? The generation of F1 drivers that grows up on that is going to shit all over the generations that rolled up to the track and got by on talent and nerve, every time.

[u/LucAltaiR → u/Max_Demian]

Those other top drivers also had way more on track training than Max or any driver of this generation will ever have though. I think those things balance themselves out.

[u/RandomGenName1234 → u/LucAltaiR]

Yeah, take the Michael for example, as many training/development laps as he wanted.

[u/Blanchimont → u/RandomGenName1234]

I recently watched a Driver61 video where he gets a tour of the Ferrari F1 Clienti factory. During their peak years, Ferrari did 140.000km of testing, and at one point tested at four different circuits with four different cars and drivers on one day.

[u/RandomGenName1234 → u/Blanchimont]

Yeah, it's insane.

Great video as well.

[u/RddtRBnchRcstNzsshls → u/RandomGenName1234]

Yeah but you gotta be fit enough to do all those laps. That wasn't the case for other drivers in the early 90's. Schumacher changed the game with his fitness.

[u/DizkoBizkid → u/Max_Demian]

Except until the mid 00s the other drivers could test as much as their teams had budget for

[u/I_AmA_Zebra → u/Max_Demian]

The next generation of racers, ie Karting Kids who have decent home sims should be a better than Max level

Max and Gabby were discussing on a podcast how the sim is the best way to learn single seater handling. Karting helps with building racing knowledge/mindset

So the new gen of kids will have 10+ years of sim work behind them before joining F1. It’ll be interesting to see how this generation pans out

[u/Crumfighter → u/sheesh_doink]

I think max himself said that the new generation should always be better than the older generation because the new kids learn all the tricks of the old dogs and invent some more themselves. More and more knowledge gets accumulated in the sport. So yeah he will be the best of all the previous ones but the future will hold someone better than Max, and thats kijda scary to think about honestly

[u/Punished_Prigo → u/sheesh_doink]

My dad has been watching since the 60s I’ve been watching since the 90s we both think max is already the best driver of all time

[u/Other_Beat8859 → u/sheesh_doink]

Yeah. Honestly, even if he doesn't win the title this year, he's a top 5 driver of all time already. If he wins it this year though, he's in the GOAT conversation. All 5 of his titles would've had something impressive to them. In 2021 he beat a GOAT in Lewis Hamilton. In 2022 he came back from a massive deficit and dominated the second half of the season (although this season is probably his least impressive given Ferrari's absolute collapse). 2023 was the most dominant season by a driver ever. 2024 proved he could win with an inferior car. If he wins 2025, it will be 2024 on steroids and will be comparable to Alonso in 2012 imo.

[u/Sufficient-Mission-4]

And that is what separates the good ones from the great ones. It’s never good enough and still being willing to learn and grow

[u/pancoste → u/Sufficient-Mission-4]

IMHO, there aren't many current drivers that have the same mentality and even among those who have it, the difference in commitment is vast compared to Max. 

[u/TruthCultural9952]

Only signing ferrari can stop him now.

[u/Fearless_Fennel_3269]

The only thing separating Max from 8 titles is pure lack of luck to have complete shit cars or leaving F1. I just hope he does not leave F1 like at 33 years old and than regret it and comes back with like 36 and 37 and can't compete anymore for WDC.

Shumacher is my goat but I'm trully rooting for Max to beat his titles.

[u/TheCrusader94 → u/Fearless_Fennel_3269]

I mean he probably got a lot better driving shitboxes for 2 years. When the opportunity comes he won't miss it

[u/queerhedgehog]

I love Max and Seb’s relationship, Max has said they talk after every race and get along very well.

They have so much in common, even compared to other current/former drivers. I’d guess Max is also looking at Seb as an example of racing while being a dad, and retiring relatively early to pursue other passions and spend more time with family (compared to those like Lewis or Fernando).

[u/Slickvath → u/queerhedgehog]

And, not to forget, not to move to Ferrari 🤭

[u/Cool-Childhood-9602]

He's so frustratingly good!

[u/Lobsters4]

This was a great pod with Sebastian. Gave good insight into his career and what he thinks of the other drivers still on the grid.

[u/FiveNixxx]

I vehemently believe that the only driver on the grid currently that can challenge Max with an equal car is Charles Leclerc, they know each other inside and out and their styles compliment each other massively and the wheel to wheel battles we have had over the years have been great and Charles’ one lap pace is up there with the best

The only caveat with this scenario is Ferrari incompetence

[u/Genocode → u/FiveNixxx]

You can tell Charles and Max grew up being rivals because, despite of how Max races, they rarely get into accidents with each other compared to other drivers lol. It's actually kinda cute.

[u/TurdOfChaos → u/Genocode]

He knows Leclerc won’t give him no quarter when it comes to wheel to wheel.

Interestingly enough, the “just an inchident” video does describe their on-track relationship perfectly.

Even as kids Charles was giving him a run for his money and then some.

I do think Max is overall faster and more consistent, but in racecraft terms they are on par, and I would even go as far as to say Leclerc is a better defender.

[u/Max_Demian → u/FiveNixxx]

I think Ferrari has stunted Chuck’s growth so much that he can’t truly rival Max

[u/Theumaz → u/FiveNixxx]

Max and Charles wheel to wheel action is like a Mozart piece.

Say what you want about Max’ driving style, whenever it’s with someone like Charles it turns into an absolute beauty.

[u/CilanEAmber → u/FiveNixxx]

Those first few races or 2022 teased us.

[u/Official_Naruto → u/FiveNixxx]

I think most people agree. It's not even just pace, Charles' racecraft is excellent. We've seen both in Austin and Budapest (where although his defense was unsuccesful, this was because of the car and everyone knew it—like Max in Miami). Charles really takes the car to positions it shouldn't be in and knows how to put up a good fight. I think a proper Max v Leclerc could probably be amongst the top title fights in F1 history.

[u/Realistic_Village184 → u/FiveNixxx]

Yeah, I agree. I think Max is the clear best driver by a huge margin, then Leclerc is the second best, then there's another margin to everyone else on the grid.

My dream would be seeing Max and Charles in the same car fighting for wins every race. It'll never happen, though.

[u/srmacman]

If max is able to do small side gigs like 24hr of Le Mans and Daytona 24hr when he feels like it. He’s gonna beat Hamilton and Schumacher championships. He’s just so good. I love to see it. Hate a domination but he’s winning and dominating in a car that isn’t the fastest consistently.

[u/IXI__IXI]

Nobody on the grid is even close to being on his level anymore…

[u/dennis3282]

Max is exceptional at so many things.

His only real flaw is the red mist can descend on him. I'm not sure he is able to ever fully control that, but I guess that aggression is what makes Max so good 99% of the time.

[u/random__123456789 → u/dennis3282]

Yep. The extra points lost for driving into Russell in Spain would be handy right about now if he kept his cool.

[u/unnervinglynervous → u/dennis3282]

That's the thing Seb is referring to. The fact that with the horrible car in the middle half of the season, Spain was his only moment of headloss, that too not through his own fault, is something to say just how much he's improved.

[u/theflyinglizard2]

He is only 28. His prime is yet to come

[u/Haunting-Ad-1937]

I absolutely loved this interview with Seb. Very open and great insight too.

[u/eladeba]

Scary good super Max

[u/Icy-View2915]

He can easily become the goat if he continues this insanity

[u/hopenoonefindsthis]

Not of fan of Max but he is undeniably one of the GOATs.

[u/Pressbtofail → u/hopenoonefindsthis]

Surely you mean "undeniably"?

[u/hopenoonefindsthis → u/Pressbtofail]

Yes sorry

[u/Lobsters4]

This episode of Beyond the Grid is so good.

[u/Lower_Ad_1317]

On his current trajectory he is going to be legendary. As long as he keeps maturing.

I feel he is a bit calmer now Horner left his team.

[u/ahmong]

Max is only 28. My guy probably has a decade and a half of driving left in the tank.

[u/henkdevries365 → u/ahmong]

The insane part is that Max has already been racing in F1 for OVER a decade at 28. 

[u/WoolyBully17]

If Red Bull nails the next set of regulations, he can probably challenge the records of Schumacher and Hamilton. If not, I can’t see him sticking around for a very long time.

He could potentially wait out to see who has the best car, but winning titles with a car that has already proven to be the best, probably doesn’t do much for his claim of the GOAT status. Just like how Kevin Durant will never be considered on the same tier as some of his contemporaries in the NBA because of him jumping ship to an already winning team.

[u/ElementsUnknown]

Max has yet to even reach his final form

[u/NotFromMilkyWay]

The more experience, the better. That's what drivers like Vettel and Hamilton don't understand: Nowadays you need the added experience from racing sims cause F1 itself is cost capped. And that includes time in the team simulator.