Kyle Larson could soon be "on the same level" as Max Verstappen as per McLaren teammate 

Kyle Larson is considered by many to be one of the best race car drivers in the American motorsports landscape today. But could Larson be considered on the same level as Max Verstappen?

Arrow McLaren's Alexander Rossi recently claimed that Larson is already among the world's best race car drivers, and if the Hendrick Motorsports driver outshines everyone in the Indy 500, he can be considered "on the same level" as the Red Bull driver.

Along with being a Cup Series champion, Larson's exploits also extend to dirt-racing where he has won several prestigious titles such as the Chili Bowl Nationals, Knoxville Nationals, and others. The next goal in Larson's sight is the Indy 500, and a victory there would put him on par with Verstappen according to Alexander Rossi.

Rossi further added that Larson winning the Indy 500 would more or less be the same as Shane Van Gisbergen winning the Chicago Street race last year. He was quoted as saying (via NASCAR.com):

"It would be the same thing that the Cup guys felt. We know he’s (Larson) good, but for him to come into our world, and in his first event win, that doesn’t reflect well on us."

To Rossi, that is just "the competitive nature" of racing in the Indy 500 and the reality of it.

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Kyle Larson has the attention of his Indy 500 rivals

Graham Rahal, an Indy 500 veteran who is on course to make his 17th appearance in the prestigious race, recently praised Kyle Larson. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has impressed his counterparts in IndyCar whenever he's gotten behind the wheel of a single-seater.

Larson has shown a good pace right from his orientation program up until the recent practice sessions, and Rahal is convinced that Larson could find himself in "a great position" in the main event.

"Kyle is supremely talented. He’ll probably even tell you I texted him maybe four or five years ago saying I’d love to see him get an opportunity to come and run the 500. But he’s got all the talent in the world. It wouldn’t be a shock, particularly in the situation with McLaren, that he comes in and is very freaking good," Rahal said as per NASCAR.com.

And it's not just Larson's talent that has got his Indy 500 rivals' attention. Helio Castroneves, a legendary figure in IndyCar, mentioned how Larson has "amazing experience and people" on his side and claimed that Larson would perform well in the 500 considering he understands the game.

So with all of that, it'll be interesting to see how Kyle Larson fares in his first Indy 500 outing. Larson winning the race seems like a far-fetched idea as of now, but given his talent, experience, and those backing him, it remains a possibility.