David Coulthard gives sweary verdict when quizzed on Max Verstappen

Saudi Motorsport make further changes to Jeddah Corniche F1 Circuit

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David Coulthard has insisted in no uncertain terms that Max Verstappen will go down alongside Lewis Hamilton as one of F1’s all-time greats regardless of what he does for the rest of his career. The Dutchman won his second Drivers’ Championship title in as many seasons this year and will almost certainly be the overwhelming favourite to claim the spoils once again in 2023.

Verstappen dominated proceedings for the vast majority of the 2022 campaign, winning a record-breaking 15 races on his way to the end-of-season honours and finishing 146 points ahead of his nearest contender in Charles Leclerc. Coulthard believes that Verstappen has already done enough to be considered as one of the best drivers in F1 history, with the Scot using some choice words to insist he will be recognised as such even if he somehow fails to win another title before he retires.

“Just as Lewis doesn’t need nine world titles for me to consider him one of the greatest drivers in the sport, Max doesn’t need three to be considered one of the best,” former Red Bull driver Coulthard told formule1.nl.

“Max is already one of the greats. You would also have to be a f****** idiot to claim that he only achieved this ‘because he was in a good car’. After all, none of his teammates have been able to measure up to him.

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“Max is a beast on the track, a winning machine who doesn’t give a s*** about what we have to say or what anyone else has to say. He’s incredible.”

Verstappen made a huge splash when he made his F1 debut as a teenage prospect back in 2015 before he became the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix by taking the chequered flag in Spain a year later. He has since gone on to establish himself as the dominant force on the grid as a result of his own talent and hard work as well as the unwavering support of Red Bull, who returned to the very top of the Constructors’ Championship standings this year.

Helmut Marko, who played an important role in getting Verstappen into F1 in his position as Red Bull’s chief advisor, recently claimed that the Dutchman is the best driver he has ever worked with during his time on the Austrian team’s payroll.

“Yes, without a doubt he is,” said Marko earlier this year. “What makes him stand out the most [is that] he doesn’t need a warm-up lap.

“If it rains somewhere, the others do five or eight laps, then Max goes out and sets the fastest time on the first lap. Take Jeddah [in 2021], nobody knew the track. The others were driving again, Max goes out and bang! Three fastest sectors. That is one of his fascinating qualities.”

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