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Former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde believes Max Verstappen is the best driver on the grid at the moment. The Red Bull driver clinched his third consecutive world title in Qatar in a season where he hasn't faced any resistance from the rest of the grid.
Out of the 17 Grand Prixs this season, the Dutchman has only lost out on three - Saudi Arabia, Baku, and Singapore. He secured his title with a second-place finish in the sprint race in Qatar.
Seeing Verstappen's dominance, former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde claimed that the young driver makes Red Bull better and if he was in another team, he would have won with them as well. Van der Garde told RacingNews365:
"Max makes Red Bull better. If he had been with another team, that team would have achieved more victories and it is certain that Max would have won in a different car. He would also compete for the title, but the how, what, where and when is just difficult to estimate. But one thing is clear: he is currently the best driver on the grid, otherwise you would not become World Champion three times."
He added:
"There is still room for improvement, but I can't point out where [he needs to]. Everything is almost perfect already. He is almost a machine, I see that he does everything perfectly. Whether it is a start or a qualifying lap or working out strategy with his engineer, he has everything under control."
"It all looks very easy - but I know how difficult it is": Van der Garde talks about Max Verstappen
Giedo van der Garde also claimed that his compatriot's ability to make F1 driving seem easy stands out for him. Having driven at the highest level of motorsports himself, Van der Garde understands how challenging it actually is. He said:
"He simply has a certain gift - and the capacity to think about other things [while driving]. The guy is so good and I sometimes think we forget to mention that it all looks very easy - but I know how difficult it is. I know what you have to do and driving such a perfect qualifying lap, like he did at Suzuka, is so incredibly difficult and when you see that lap, then you really think: 'Wow, this guy!'"
While Red Bull will be ecstatic with Verstappen's performances this season, there are question marks about the future of his teammate Sergio Perez. His performances this season have been disappointing and he could be replaced soon.
