F1 pundit Tim Coronel has shot down Kyle Larson’s claim that he’s a better all-around driver than Max Verstappen. The American NASCAR driver took the motorsports world by storm when he claimed that he was an all-around better driver than the reigning F1 champion.
Kyle Larson is a dominant force in NASCAR and American motorsports. He clinched the ESPN award for best auto racer in 2021 and continues to impress. This season, he made a surprising one-off Indy500 appearance with McLaren.
After recently winning his third Knoxville Nationals title, Kyle Larson was questioned about his global standing. The American confidently asserted his belief in being a better all-around driver as compared to Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen.
In an interview with Racingnews365, F1 pundit Tim Coronel dismissed Larson’s claims. Coronel said that the NASCAR driver was living in his own little bubble in America. Here’s what he said:
“If you say that, then I don’t think you know what’s going on in the world besides that bubble he’s in in America. If you think you’re better than Max Verstappen, I’d actually really like to have a match between them, because you’re going to lose. Max in those GT cars also goes bellowing, in the sim, with everything.”
Coronel went on to claim that Verstappen could outpace Larson in just two practice sessions and leave the American crying in a corner. He said,
“Kyle, sorry, but then I think you are wrong in life. Then you haven’t understood what driving a car is at all. Two practice sessions for Max and then Kyle is going to cry in a corner somewhere.
“What Kyle Larson had said about Max Verstappen
In an interview with Flo Racing, Kyle Larson had said that he felt he was a better all-around driver than Max Verstappen. The American acknowledged Verstappen’s dominance in open-wheel racing but confidently asserted his superiority in other forms of motorsport. He said,
“I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver. There’s no way (Verstappen) can get into a Sprint Car and win the Knoxville Nationals. There’s no way he can go win the Chili Bowl. There’s no way he can go win a Cup race at Bristol.”
He added,
“There’s probably no way I can go win a Formula 1 race at Monaco, but I think I’d have a better shot at him (doing what he does than him doing what I do) just because of the car element. That’s what gives me ease and confidence that, like, I know I’m better than him. Maybe not in an open-wheel IndyCar or Formula 1 car, but that’s one discipline. I think I would beat him in everything else. You can quote that.”
This is certainly an interesting debate, and it has triggered an online conversation on who would beat whom in which category. It is, however, safe to say that both Max Verstappen and Kyle Larson continue to be assets in their respective series.