Max Verstappen is already among 'one of the F1’s all-time greats,' says Adrian Newey

Red Bull's Adrian Newey feels that Max Verstappen is already among the greatest racers that Formula 1 has ever seen, especially since his victory in 2021.

The driver has been at the top since the 2022 season and has easily dominated the grid. He has won eleven out of the thirteen races in the season so far and his triumph at his home race in the Netherlands last week made him stand equal to Sebastian Vettel and Alberto Ascari's record of nine consecutive wins.

Although he has produced inspiring performances since his debut in the sport, he has improved quite a lot after winning his first world championship in 2021. Adrian Newey, the chief technical officer of Red Bull, recently said that the win in 2021 released him from pressure, thus improving his driving. Autosport quoted him:

"Max is clearly one of the all-time greats. Since he won the championship in '21 — that took a lot of pressure off himself, and his driving has got a lot better."

Newey's incredible practical knowledge of aerodynamics has played a major role in creating Red Bull's RB19, the most dominant car on the grid. Max Verstappen is easily leading the championship in the car and will probably win his third consecutive championship this season. Newey added that Verstappen's effortless driving gave the impression that he drove an automatic car.

"He's totally in tune. The thing about Max, like all the real greats, is that you have the impression he almost drives the car on automatic — which leaves plenty of processing power to think about everything," Newey said.

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Max Verstappen talks about Lando Norris as his teammate in the future

The Dutchman has locked himself with Red Bull until 2028. However, his teammates could change. Since his debut with the team in 2016, there have been four different drivers, from Daniel Ricciardo to Sergio Perez.

While Perez's contract has him in the team till 2024, his future is questionable with Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Lando Norris, meanwhile, has been with McLaren since his F1 debut and a strong team might be on his plate, given the amazing racecraft that he has shown over the years. He is still shy of a victory because of the performance that McLaren has provided him with.

While talking to Sky Sports about the Briton being his potential teammate in the future, Max Verstappen said that although Norris was locked with McLaren for a long time, they would have to wait to see what the future holds.

"We talk about it...But he's contracted to McLaren for a long time. We'll see what happens in the future," Verstappen said.