“Kyle Larson can go out and drive anything” - Kevin Harvick defends NASCAR driver, dismisses Max Verstappen comparisons

Kevin Harvick shared his take on the Kyle Larson versus Max Verstappen topic, as the former NASCAR driver rooted for the Hendrick Motorsports man. Harvick, in the recent Harvick Happy Hour podcast, stated that Larson, as a driver, is superior to the Formula 1 champion.

Larson triggered a controversy last week when his statement of superiority against Verstappen surfaced. While the NASCAR star stated that he respects the F1 star's achievement, Larson claimed that he is a better overall driver than the Red Bull star.

Fans and experts had their fair share of reactions and justifications, with Formula 1 fans supporting their star, and NASCAR fans rooting for Larson. Amidst this, Harvick has come up with his take. He said:

"The thing that I can tell you that if Kyle Larson went to drive Max Verstappen's car, it wouldn't be but one or two days and he would be damn close to being as fast as Max Verstappen. But there is no way that Max Verstappen comes up over here and does that in a Stock car. (0:01-0:16)

"I heard him (Verstappen) talk about drivers being specialized in their discipline, that's not Kyle Larson. Kyle Larson can go out and drive anything. He's very good at his discipline. But he's got multiple disciplines, and we saw what he did in an IndyCar, and I truly believe that Max would do okay but he's not gonna do anything anywhere close to what Kyle Larson does." (0:25-0:46)

Both Larson and Verstappen are champions of their own discipline. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is a one-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and was the 2024 regular season standings leader when he made the comparison ahead of the Michigan race.

On the other hand, Verstappen is a three-time F1 world champion, and he is looking strong to claim his fourth at the end of this season. The Dutchman took 51 victories in the last 80 races and is regarded as one of the best drivers to have graced the sport.

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What did Kyle Larson say about Max Verstappen?

Kyle Larson (5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) holds up a brick trophy in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 - Source: Getty Images.

Kyle Larson has been in supreme form this season. The #5 driver won four Cup Series races in 23 outings and claimed six back-to-back Sprint races in 2024. This infused immense confidence in the Hendrick Motorsports driver, as he went on to claim himself better than Max Verstappen, the reigning F1 champion.

"I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver," Larson said in an interview with FloRacing. "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.”

Verstappen and Larson both follow different disciplines and races under different regulations. This makes their comparison immensely tough for experts as well as fans. In a nutshell, the drivers are entitled to their respective thoughts, but it's tough to pick a winner.