NASCAR champion Kyle Larson has said he is a “better all-round driver” than F1 leader Max Verstappen.
Larson, the 2021 Cup champion, is considered one of the best drivers in motorsports outside of Grand Prix racing and one of the most talented drivers to ever compete in NASCAR.
Outside of his Hendrick Motorsports Cup commitments, Larson is often seen competing in sprint races and recently won his third Knoxville Nationals title after also competing in the Indy 500 in May, making him the first active Cup driver since 2014 to attempt a “double role” in the Coca-Coca 600.
Verstappen has taken over Lewis Hamilton’s role as “the man to beat in F1” since 2021, setting numerous new records, including 19 wins in 22 races in the 2023 season, which made him a three-time world champion.
But Larson is convinced that with the right equipment he is more than a match for Verstappen.
“Not really. I know I’m a better all-rounder than him,” Larson said FloRacing when asked whether he had to beat Verstappen to be considered the best driver in the world.
“There’s no way Verstappen can get in a sprint car and win the Knoxville Nationals. There’s no way he can win the Chili Bowl. There’s no way he can win a Cup race at Bristol.”
“There’s probably no way for me to win a Formula 1 race in Monaco, but I think I’d have a better chance if I did what he does than if he did what I do, just because of the car aspect.
“It gives me peace of mind and confidence because I know I’m better than him.
“Maybe not in an open-wheel IndyCar or Formula 1 car, but that’s one discipline. I think I’d beat him in anything else. You can quote that.”
Larson against Verstappen
With Larson and Verstappen unlikely to move to Formula 1 in the near future, the opportunities for the two to meet on track are limited.
One such point of discussion would be the question of whether motorsport would be given a place at the Summer Olympics.
Motorsport was not included in the recent Paris Games and will not be on the list in Los Angeles in 2028. However, motorsport has been touted as being on the program for the 2032 Games in Brisbane. However, Larson believes motorsport does not fit into the Olympic program.
“I just can’t imagine racing becoming part of the Olympics because it’s 100% about the athlete,” he said.
“For example, you win through 100% pure athleticism, while in racing the machine aspect is always in the foreground. And the car is not quite 100%
“Even if you had two cars here and said they were identical, they wouldn’t be identical. That’s why I don’t think racing will be in the Olympics. But I also want it to be in the Olympics because I would do it.”
“I would very much like to take the opportunity to do so and perhaps I would have a different opinion if I had the chance.
“At the moment I don’t know. I just don’t think it could be an Olympic sport.
“But I would love to take the chance to fight for an Olympic gold medal, or hell, any medal, racing against Max Verstappen or guys from other countries and so on.
“That would be pretty awesome.”
