"The fiercest and one of the best drivers the sport has ever seen": F1 pundit heaps praise on Max Verstappen

F1 pundit Laura Winter has termed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen "the fiercest and one of the best drivers the sport has ever seen." He has dominated the sport for the past four years and has created several records during that time.

The 27-year-old is the best and the highest-paid driver on the grid. He has time and again showcased his prowess behind the wheel, most recently last year, when he won his fourth consecutive title in inferior machinery against Lando Norris.

Speaking with Formule1.nl, Winter was asked about her experience of interacting with Max Verstappen in the F1 paddock every weekend. She replied with a bucket full of praises directed toward the Dutchman. She said:

“Max is the fiercest and one of the best drivers the sport has ever seen. We ran out of superlatives to describe him in 2023. What he has achieved, the way he drove, the sparkling, millimetre-perfect qualifying laps, the maturity and calmness.

"We see Max being tested a lot more this year and that shows another fascinating and sometimes controversial facet of his driving personality. He is courteous and professional to interview, but always straightforward, even when a race weekend doesn’t go his way. He is one of a kind and has already secured himself a prominent place in the history books of this sport.”

In 2025, Max Verstappen will gun for a fifth successive title and take the Austrian team back to glory after they lost their footing last year to McLaren.

Max Verstappen previews the 2025 season at a recent event

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen recognized the top seater in nature of the team's performance in the 2024 season and emphasized the importance of learning from last year as they head to the next chapter in 2025.

In his latest appearance at the ORBR Brand Shoot, the four-time F1 world champion reflected on his and Red Bull's focus to bounce back this year, saying:

"We had our up and down moments, but that can happen in Formula 1. It’s about what we learn from it and hopefully this year, with what we have learned last year, we can do a more solid job,"

Verstappen also spoke about the varied nature of his four titles in the sport and added:

"I think the beautiful thing was that every championship that I have won, has been won in a different way."

In 2025, Max Verstappen would hope to become the second driver after Michael Schumacher to win five consecutive Drivers championships, and the fourth in F1 history to achieve the feat.