"There's a wow factor with him" - Max Verstappen earns plaudits from former F1 driver Johnny Herbert

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert praised Max Verstappen for his achievements and driving skills that he has reflected on in Formula 1.

He stated that the Dutchman has got a certain 'wow factor' to himself. Referring to him as one of the special drivers that the sport has witnessed in its history, this special factor allows him to not only win races but conquer titles.

Herbert said as Total Motorsport quoted him:

"He still really excites me when I watch him. There’s a wow factor with Max. Special drivers have that something extra that allows them to win races, but more importantly win a world championship."

Herbert is not the first former driver to praise Max Verstappen. The Dutchman's driving skills have certainly raised eyebrows within the sport, especially in his extremely impressive 2022 season. Verstappen won races with almost a 20-second gap after starting from the back of the grid and had no difficulty in clinching his second world title.

After Mercedes' downfall in the same season, he had almost no barriers on the road to victory since Ferrari had some of their own struggles. He and his teammate Sergio Perez were able to give the team their 5th constructors' world title.

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Is Max Verstappen a part of the 'best' Formula 1 grid?

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi

When Herbert was asked if Max Verstappen's era is the best grid in the history of the sport, he had a rather diplomatic answer. There have been legends in the sport including the likes of Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, and many more.

However, the 2022 grid had some of the most amazing drivers of all time, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen, drivers who have created history, broken and set new records, so it was a genuine question to ask.

However, Herbert feels that it is not that easy to judge because of the mere difference in all the eras. The technology that the drivers have now makes it difficult to judge. He said:

"It’s difficult with eras because they are all very, very different. The one big thing that is different from when I started, for example, is they have so much more information [now] before they even step in the car."

He added that drivers now have hundreds of hours spent driving on simulators before they enter the actual track, which, when compared to previous eras, was obviously non-existent.

Heading into the 2023 season, Max Verstappen's fans will look forward to him clinching another world title, however, there will be others to challenge him for the same.