Pierre Gasly talks about the hype around “icon” Max Verstappen since a young age

Pierre Gasly recently spoke about Max Verstappen and how the Dutchman was tipped for success at an early age. Both drivers raced in karting and moved up the ranks together.

Speaking to F1.com, Gasly explained how Verstappen was instantly recognized as a different breed in the junior categories. The Alpine driver said:

“It was clear already from a very young age, when we raced in karting, the hype around him was already very different to any other drivers. It was clear going up the ranks that there was more attention, more focus, driven by the name, the performances, all the hype around Jos and Max’s relationship, so it was no surprise.”

Pierre Gasly went on to say that he wasn't surprised by Verstappen's dominance at Red Bull. Gasly also labeled the Dutchman an "icon."

“The way that he came to F1 and performed and switched to Red Bull just amplified everything that followed, but I would say it’s no surprise that he’s where he is today and he’s got the following, especially in the Netherlands," he said. "From an outside point of view, he seems to be pretty much the icon of the country.”

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Red Bull team principal on how Max Verstappen is currently "untouchable"

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes Max Verstappen is "simply untouchable" at the moment and that being his teammate is the most "enviable job."

Horner said, as quoted by Racing News 365:

"Max is in a period of his career where he's just simply untouchable. I don't think there's any driver on the grid that will be able to achieve what he's been doing in that car. Being his teammate is probably - in some respects - the most enviable job to have because the barometer is so high. It's very difficult and I think what we're witnessing at the moment is a driver that is generational [talent]."

Max Verstappen has won his last 10 races and is currently leading the drivers' world championship with 364 points, 145 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez in second.